South Sudan ranks low in natural resources compared to other African countries.

Writer: Christopher Luate Obede

A Facebook post published by Radio Dabanga-211, featuring an image of a sunflower field, claiming that South Sudan is the richest country in Africa in terms of resources, is false.

Radio Dabanga-211 is a Facebook page with over 8.2K likes and 18K followers. 

“Renk county-South Sudan, South Sudan, is the richest country in Africa in terms of resources,” it briefly reads in its post shared on January 15, 2024.

Screenshot of the Facebook post by Radio Dabanga-211

Claim Verification:

A Google keyword search by 211 Check finds that the richest African countries ranked by wisevoter, a platform that provides citizens, voters, and elected officials with the information, insights, and tools that amplify democracy in the modern age place Seychelles and Mauritius as the top richest countries in Africa in terms of GNI per capita. The figures are based on the latest IMF and World Bank data.

Other sources like here and here say Nigeria is the richest country in Africa in 2023 by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the total value of goods and services produced in a country within a given period.

Google search for “South Sudan” only returns a result ranked by  The World Bank as the 54th African country that gained independence on July 9, 2011.

According to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2023, South Sudan is 167th among 167 countries. In terms of GDP, Statista forecasts South Sudan’s GDP in 2028 to be $9.05 billion.

Image verification using a Google Lens reverse image search returns several results. The image of the sunflower garden was first posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, @moe_abu3agla. It is of a farm in Basinda locality – Gedaref State, Sudan.

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that South Sudan is the richest country in Africa false. South Sudan ranks low in natural resources compared to other African countries, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group data.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-Check for a Pay’ Initiative with support from the International Fact-Checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter

No, the pictures were collected from different locations, one of which was altered, and the others were blessed for the owners’ happiness and fulfilling the practice of honouring St. Francis of Assisi.

Writer: Jibi Moses 

Pictures making rounds on the internet claiming the Pope baptised and fed dogs with the holy communion are false. The images have been digitally altered.

On January 12, 2024, a Facebook page posted four pictures, two of which featured the Pope, while the other two were of other religious leaders. All the pictures had at least a dog or dogs in them.

The post went with a heading: “Dogs were baptised and given Holy communion by the “Holy fathers” Copied.”

The screenshot of the images, as posted by Zion Amarachi

The post attracted 22 reactions, 49 comments, and 22 shares in 48 hours. Another Facebook user who shared the post is seen here. 

Did the Pope baptise and feed dogs with the Holy Communion? 211 Check finds out:

Claim Verification:

211 Check investigated each image separately, and these are the results.

Image 1:

On running Reverse Image Search, Yandex brought results with several posts that had previously used the image, with the pope serving a small boy with holy communion instead of a dog. 

Tineye, another online tool for reverse image search, had links to similar images.

La Luce Di Maria, a registered newspaper in Rome publishing mainly religious content, published an article in 2019 with the title: Communion under both species: what theology says.

The screenshot of the article that used the original image and credited GettyImages.

However, in the article, we traced its origin to Getty Images. In the Getty Images files, the picture was taken by Andreas Solano on May 6, 2019. 

Image 2:

Yandex results show instances where the images were used before. Quest France published an article on October 8, 2023, titled, “IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES. In Honfleur, the priest blesses 300 animals for the happiness of their owners.”

“The famous blessing of the animals, organised by the Notre Dame de l’Estuaire parish this Sunday, October 8, 2023, was once again a success. For this 9th edition, around 250 owners took over the Sainte-Catherine church in Honfleur (Calvados) accompanied by their dogs, and cats… but not only that!” reads the publication which featured several other pictures.

A screenshot of an article that featured the image posted by Quest France 

                                   The exact image as used by Quest France

Image 3:

Google Reverse Image Search shows that this image was used before by several publishers at different times, some as early as 2016.

Bing, TinEye, and Yandex searches returned results with the same picture. ABC News, on June 8, 2016, published an article with the heading Pope Meets With Search and Rescue Dogs in St Peter’s Square. Trainers presented Pope Francis with a red T-shirt from the lifeguard school. 

Other sources that shared the same picture are seen here, here, and here. 

                      The screen of the image, as used by ABC News on June 8, 2016

Image 4:

Google Image Reverse Search shows that the image was taken in Ecuador during the sixth time that a mass has been celebrated at the Saint-Martin d’Escaudain church to bless the animals. According to the Catholic religion, it takes place as part of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

Lavoix Du Nord published stories, among which the picture was used in one of them. The story had the title Escaudain: Animal friends came to bless their companions on October 17, 2021.

Screenshot of the image in the story posted by LaVaix Du Nord on October 17, 2021

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim that the Pope blessed and fed dogs with holy communion to be false. These pictures were collected from different locations, one of which was digitally altered, and the others were when some church leaders blessed animals for the happiness of the owners and partly the practice of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Animals according to the Catholic religion.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatters. 

A viral WhatsApp message asking you to apply for Students Laptop Scheme 2024 is a scam; there is no official announcement or information from any government or educational authority about such a scheme.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A viral WhatsApp message claiming to offer students free laptops through the “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” is a hoax.

“The Applications for the Students Laptop Scheme 2024 is Available,” reads the WhatsApp message headline widely shared in private chats and WhatsApp groups.

The message directs recipients to a website where they are asked to enter personal information and share the link with friends and groups on WhatsApp before receiving a confirmation SMS.

A screenshot of the WhatsApp message

Upon clicking the link in the WhatsApp message, the website prompts users to meet specific age requirements and literacy abilities, then requests personal information such as full name, educational level, preferred laptop brand, and age range. 

It poses a mathematical problem verifying age, which is not a standard procedure for legitimate government programs.

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

After this, the website falsely claims the application has been approved and instructs applicants to share the information with friends or groups on WhatsApp before validating their application. This is a common tactic used in phishing scams to spread false information and gather additional personal data from unsuspecting individuals.

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

Screenshots of the web pages of the purported website

Claim Verification:

Search engine results on Microsoft Bing for “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” return about the “Laptop Sahay Yojana 2024”, a scheme by the Indian state government that offers financial aid of Rs. 40,000 to each chosen student to purchase a laptop.

No official announcements or government communications about a particular “Students Laptop Scheme 2024” indicate that this scheme is non-existent.

A VirusTotal analysis identifies this website as a phishing scam, a tool used to verify the authenticity of the website.

A whois domain search shows that the website was registered on January 9, 2023, and will expire on January 9, 2024.

Screenshot of the domain Whois information

The website linked in the message prompts users to enter personal information, a red flag, as legitimate government application processes are typically conducted through official channels.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found out that the viral WhatsApp message claiming to offer free laptops to students through a government scheme for 2024 is a hoax. There is no legitimate information or official announcement about such a scheme, and the website linked in the message is likely a ploy to collect personal information fraudulently.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-Check for a Pay’ Initiative with support from the International Fact-Checking Network through the BUILD grant.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

It’s vital to fight misinformation and disinformation in the media by avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter