Fact-check: This photo shows a car bombing scene in Kabul, Afghanistan, not a fire outbreak in Juba

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By 211 Check Desk

Introduction:

A photo shared on Facebook by South Sudan Eye, a page that parades as a personal blog with over 48,000 followers claimed that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night.

In fact, the picture shows the scene of a car bombing outside a Defense Ministry building in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

“Juba on fire 🔥,” reads the Facebook post by South Sudan Eye on March 28, 2022 shared more than 5 times with over 290 interactions and 140 comments.

A screenshot of the misleading post taken on March 29, 2022

Juba is the capital city of South Sudan in Central Equatoria State.

The posts circulated after a State of Nation Address on Monday afternoon, in which President Salva Kiir Mayardit assured Juba residents of guaranteed security.

There were fears following deployment of security organs across the city that day.

However, the photo shared by South Sudan Eye on its Facebook page was not taken in Juba yesterday.

Findings:

A reverse image search on Google traced the photo to several news articles from July, 2019 including those by CNN and the New York Times. 

One of the articles is headlined “Kabul blast kills 6, injures 105 people”, referring to the incident from which the photo was taken.

Conclusion:

The photo shared on Facebook claiming that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night is FALSE. The photo shows the scene of an incident in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of ourAfrica Fact-checking Alliance incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Has the SPLM-IO been dissolved as claimed? No.

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A press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022 claiming that the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved is False. His press secretary Puok Both says the information is false and fabricated.

By 211 Check Desk

According to a press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022, the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved.

“…Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhorgon released a statement dissolving SPLM-IO party and joining the mother party SPLM under President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” partly reads the statement shared on WhatsApp.

Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement
Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement

The statement was not released by Riek Machar, however.

Investigation

The statement is not viewable on Riek Machar’s Facebook Page or Twitter Account nor did 211 Check find any news reports of the alleged statement in South Sudan’s mainstream media.

The alleged statement shared by online users was not released by First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, his press secretary, Puok Both told 211 Check.

“This is false and fabricated information,” Puok Both said in a message reply to  211 Check.

Conclusion:

False. First Vice President, Riek Machar Teny has not dissolved his SPLM-IO party.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Scam Alert: Fake Facebook Accounts

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The Facebook accounts Awow Daniel Chaung and Josephine Napwon Cosmos asking random Messenger users to wire them money are imposters.

By 211 Check Desk

211 received reports about two Facebook accounts. The names Awow Daniel Chaung, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, and Josephine Napwon Cosmos, Minister for Environment and Forestry, are both forgeries. They are pretending to be these government officials.

According to reports received by 211 Check, these accounts are randomly requesting monetary assistance from Facebook users via messenger, as shown in the screenshots below.

In one of the incidents, the fake accounts claim to have ordered a car from Japan, arrived at the Malaba border, and needed assistance so that a victim would send money for border clearance.

Screenshots of the Fake Accounts and their messages 

Surprisingly, if you repeatedly question them or become suspicious of them, they will block you and move on to the next unsuspecting prey.

The impostor usually gives unsuspecting people an MTN Uganda number so that money can be transferred through the line.

Josephine Napwon’s legitimate Facebook page is: Hon. Josephine Napwon – National Minister of Environment and Forestry RSS.

Awow Daniel Chaung does not run a personal page at the moment.

Spot and Avoid Government Impersonator Scams

  • A government impersonator scam often starts with a call, email, or text message from someone who says they’re with a government agency or official. They might give you their “some reason” to sound official. And they might have information about you, like your name or home address.
  • They’ll also give you some reason why you need to send money or give them your personal information immediately. If you get a message like that, ignore the message. It’s a scammer.
  • Because government agencies or officials won’t call, email, or text you and ask for money or personal information. Only a scammer will do that.

 How to avoid the scam

  • Don’t wire money, send cash, or use any kind of transaction to pay someone who says they’re a government official or agency. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and almost impossible to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear.
  • Don’t give your financial or other personal information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re a government official or agency. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct.
  • Don’t click on links in unexpected emails or text messages. Scammers send emails and text messages that look like they’re real, but are designed to steal your money and your personal information. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Simply delete the message.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-Check: This picture is not of a Yei girl married to a Whiteman.

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211 Check investigated a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and discovered it to be FALSE. Korra Obidi is a Nigerian dancer who recently gave birth to her second child. She is not a Yei South Sudanese.

By 211 Check 

A Facebook photo purportedly of one Miss Ajonye from Yei, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, with her “kawaja” husband is deceptive.

The picture was shared on Wednesday this week with the caption, “First Yei Girl to be married to Kawaja and gat two baby boys. Congratulations Ajonye. Minori is proud. The whole South Sudan is happy for you.”

Screenshot of Misleading Facebook Post

But, is the lady in the picture from Yei, South Sudan? We checked it.

Findings:

A reverse image search, returned results of the same picture depicting the incident involving a Nigerian lady.

The picture shows Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer and her husband Justin Dean. They have been married for four years and she had given birth to their second child.

Screenshot of Korra Obidi’s Instagram Post

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and finds it to be FALSE. The photo is of Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer who had given birth to her second child. She is not a South Sudanese from Yei

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: @BSS_Original is the authentic Twitter Account for the Bank of South Sudan

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The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

By 211 Check Desk 

The Central Bank of South Sudan currently has three Twitter accounts in its name, this has made it difficult for its followers to figure out which is authentic and actively used.

We cross checked to find out, which is legitimate.

Findings:

A spokesperson of the Bank of South Sudan, Majok .N. Arou tells 211 Check on Wednesday that the @BSS_Original created in February 2022 is their legitimate handle.

https://twitter.com/BSS_Original?s=09

“It is confirmed by the technician. It is our Twitter,” he told 211 Check in a WhatsApp message.

Independent examination by 211 Check also shows that the @BSS_Original account has been tweeting daily since creation.

Screenshot of Bank of South Sudan’s Authentic Twitter

The other account @BankofSouthSuda created in July 2013 last tweeted in January 2014 whereas the @BankofSouthS account created in December 2018 last tweeted in July 2019.

Conclusion:

The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Did Putin ask President Kiir to apologise?

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211 Check findings show that the viral videos are fake and digitally altered. They are satirical content intended for comedy.

By 211 Check Desk

Viral Tiktok videos in which Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have asked South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to apologise are satire.

Sharing two separate videos of some Indian news plates, social media users claim that South Sudan has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine telling it to withdraw its forces immediately.

Screenshot of the Satirical Video

A separate video also claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned South Sudan to stay away from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and that South Sudan’s President Kiir should apologise.

“The President of the Republic of South Sudan H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine. He warned Russia’s President Putin to withdraw his troops before it is too late,” partly reads the satirical news.

Investigation:

211 Check findings show that the viral videos are fake and digitally altered. They are satirical content intended for comedy. The videos were made using a sophisticated app or software.

The video clips are a mix from different events. One is during an Al Jazeera interview with President Salva Kiir years back.

It should also be noted that until the time of publishing this fact-check, South Sudan has not issued an official statement condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Representatives of Western nations in South Sudan instead asked South Sudan to stand in solidarity with Ukraine according to a Monday report by Juba Echo

So, what did Putin say?

On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. He appeared for a televised address and declared a military operation that aims to ensure a demilitarisation of Ukraine

“I would like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be as you have never seen in your entire history,” Putin is quoted saying.

He did not specifically warn South Sudan. You can read his full speech here.

Conclusion:

Digitally altered videos claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have asked South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to apologise are satire.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Is David Uri Ben Uziel a South Sudanese army General? No.

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David Ben Uziel is an Israeli army general, not South Sudanese. He came to the then Southern Sudan to help train the Anya-Naya guerilla movement.

By 211 Check Desk

A post shared by Insight Juba, a Facebook media page claimed that Gen. David Ben-Uziel, a veteran Israeli soldier who played an active role in the Anya-nya revolution is a South Sudanese army General.

Screenshot of post claiming that David Ben is a South Sudanese

The post created a controversial online debate, but here is the truth:

In 1969, the Israeli government under the leadership of Golda Meir decided to assist the Anya-Nya guerilla movement in South Sudan in its fight against the Sudan government. 

Gen. David Ben Uziel, was then chosen to lead the Israeli agents to Southern Sudan and helped train the Anya-Nya guerilla movement.

Gen. David Uri Ben Uziel (AKA Tarzan or John) is the First Israeli to enter South Sudan in 1969 for a fact-finding mission in order to come to conclusion about the envelopment of the State of Israel to build the AnyaNya to become a fighting force for the freedom of the People of South Sudan.

Read more about him here.

Conclusion:

David Ben Uziel is an Israeli army general, not South Sudanese. He came to the then Southern Sudan to help train the Anya-Naya guerilla movement.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: The Ministry of Finance and Planning is NOT giving out 3 million USD grants to businesses.

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A media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning says the Facebook page running the advert is fake. According to him, updates from the ministry are shared on the minister’s social media accounts at the moment.

By 211 Check Desk

A sponsored Facebook post on a fake account of the Ministry of Finance and Planning purporting that it is giving out entrepreneurial and agricultural grants of up to three million dollars to small businesses in South Sudan is a hoax.

The advert claims that the grants in an effort to promote investment, agribusiness and economic empowerment is a partnership between USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network.

“We, therefore, advise entrepreneurs and farmers to take advantage of this great opportunity to apply for the grants by clicking on this link…,” partly reads the hoax.

Screenshot of the hoax

They then direct users to fill in a google form.

Screenshot of the Google Form

When contacted by 211 Check, a media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning said the Facebook page running the advert is fake. He says updates from the ministry are shared on the minister’s social media accounts at the moment.

“The grant is a hoax. Currently, we have the minister’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts on his names,” the media official said.

211 Check investigations have found out that the Facebook page was created on 24th February 2022. It is an attempt to collect personal information for monetary gain.

Do not fill out the form and disregard the information.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a Facebook post claiming that the Ministry of Finance and Planning, USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network is giving grants to small and medium scale businesses and finds it to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Is there a new way of using Facebook and WhatsApp for free? No.

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The only Free Facebook that allows you to text is offered by MTN South Sudan. You don’t need to give anyone your login credentials such as phone number, email or password to use Facebook for free on MTN.

By 211 Check Desk

Recently, hoax messages have circulated claiming that there is a new way “to use Facebook and WhatsApp without the need to buy data bundles for six months.”

The message sender then requests a user’s login information, such as their phone number and password, so that “they could activate it.”

Screenshot of the Hoax Message

Some desperate users who shared their login information were compromised, resulting in the loss of their Facebook and Messenger accounts.

“If you receive one of these messages, delete it and ignore it instead of forwarding it,” says Arik Robert, SafetyComm South Sudan Team Leader, to 211 Check.

“Those who participate in the hoax waste their time and have their online privacy violated,” he said.

Common Facebook Scams

  • Fake Links/Clickjacking – Fake news, free giveaways, etc. can be delivery methods for malware. Just like email scams of the past, these leverage stories, news or offers that catch your attention. The point is to have you click on a link or share something that propagates malware. 

Examples include:

  1. Direct Messages with links or attempts to get you to look at something.
  2. Links resulting in another login request for Facebook/Email Provider – this is to harvest your account.
  3. Surveys – Some surveys on Facebook are created to harvest information about users for identity theft/account hijacking/spear phishing (crafted attacks).
  • Fake Accounts – Fake Facebook accounts can fall into many different types of scams. Examples include:
  1. Account Cloning – I’ve seen this approach grow in frequency in the last year. Indications of a cloned account are a second Facebook Friend Request – if you’re already connected on Facebook, you should not receive a second Facebook Friend Request. The old email trick – “I’m in jail in a foreign country, can you send money?” has migrated to Facebook with a different twist. 
  2. Friend of Friend/Relative – Some fake accounts are created and operated to entice you to trust them. Within a short period of time, they promise money or ask for it. Many scams revolve around large sums of money if you provide a fee or personal data.
  • Romance – Another common scam are requests to “be friends” or “…get to know you”. I’ve seen many people fall for these accounts. They can be grouped into two primary categories:
  1. For the Lulz – Some people create and operate fake accounts for their own personal needs or dysfunctions. They may not ask for money and simply crave attention. I’ve seen men pretend to be women and women pretend to be men in the digital world. 
  2. For the Money – These scammers are versed in spending time to build up a dependency.  They may send you small amounts of money to build up their credibility. Eventually, it leads to needing money from you. Once this starts, they go for everything they can get.  Many of these scammers know how to pull your heart strings to get what they want. 
  3. Your Employer – Sometimes it’s not about exploiting you, but who you work for. Cisco’s 2016 Annual Security Report listed malware delivered via Facebook scams as a top delivery method to compromise organizational networks. Great cybersecurity measures are easily compromised by enticing someone to click a link at work. Some employers block Facebook for these specific reasons. 

Protecting Yourself – There are some key steps to protect yourself: 

  • Setup Security – Many people think their accounts are secure and details hidden. Many people lockdown their posts, but leave photographs, check-ins, etc. open. These are all great data sources for scammers to use against you. Lock everything down and test the setup. Open only the functions that you need to.  (If you have security minded friends or family, ask them for help. Sometimes a second set of eyes spot missed settings.)
  • Real World Suspicion – If you wouldn’t do it in the physical world, don’t do it in the digital world. If you met someone on the street who said they lived in your neighborhood 20 years ago and ten minutes later asks for your Social Security Number to give you $2000, you’d be suspicious. You should use the same scrutiny and judgement, and more so, in the digital world. Just because someone says something is true, does not mean it is. It just means they said it. “Never assume anything is true until you verify it yourself.” If it sounds too good to be true, 99% of the time, it is not true.  Be cautious.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into messenger messages claiming that there is a new way of using Facebook and WhatsApp for free and finds them to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: These photos do not show ammunition confiscated by the national security yesterday

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By 211 Check Desk

Photos shared on Facebook and WhatsApp of a massive amount of ammunition and guns being transported in a casket allegedly to Pibor have been found to be FALSE.

Misleading Facebook Post

A google reverse image search on the photos show that in 2016, the photos were circulated in Nigeria media depicting a massive amount of weaponry and ammunition allegedly concealed in a casket.

It was falsely reported that a Nigerian army unit had intercepted an arms trafficking syndicate travelling between Ondo and Lagos States.

At that time, Nigeria army spokesperson said the photos were actually taken from a training exercise in 2012.

“The photos circulating were taken from a training exercise held in 2012 and it is normal to have other security agencies represented in all internal security trainings at schools or in barracks by army units,” Nigerian Army spokesman SK Usman told the Sahara Reporters on 30th March 2016.

There have also been no credible media reports in South Sudan about the photos as of Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into photos allegedly of members of South Sudan national security confiscating ammunition being transported to Pibor and finds them to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.