Bentiu tv Misleading Image

Fact-Check: Do these pictures show livestock killed by floods in Bentiu? No

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These pictures showing livestock allegedly killed by floods in Bentiu, Unity State are misleading

By 211 Check Editorial Team

Pictures shared by Bentiu tv, a Facebook page with the caption, “This is how flood kills livestock in Bentiu” are FALSE

Reverse image search of the pictures leads to a story published by the Star Kenya two days ago in which raging water as a result of heavy rains at the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro in neighbouring Tanzania killed livestock in Kenya’s Taita Taveta county.

Conclusion:

The images do not show livestock killed by floods in Bentiu, Unity State. They instead show livestock killed in Taita Taveta county, Kenya.

#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.

Updated_ Plane Crashes in South Sudan since 2011211 Check

Data Story: Plane Crashes in South Sudan; Number of Incidents and Fatalities since 2011

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36 Plane Crashes, 87 fatalities since 2011

Updated by Justine Anthony

According to data obtained from the Aviation Safety Network, at least 87 people have died in various plane crashes since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011.

The biggest incident that claimed 41 lives occurred on November 4, 2015, near Juba International Airport in Central Equatoria State, when Allied Services Limited – lsf Asia Airways crashed while taking off.

The second biggest fatality occurred on September 9, 2018, near Yirol airstrip in Lakes State, when South West Aviation, lsf Slav-Air crashed while landing – a heartbreaking occurrence that killed 20 people, including a bishop. 

Other recent crashes that killed several people include the recent South Supreme Airlines Pieri and last year’s South West Aviation incidents, which killed ten and seven people, respectively.

According to the data presented above, Central Equatoria State, Juba City, had the highest number of incidents that claimed several lives.

Wau Airport took second place among the airstrips that had several incidents, despite the fact that the number of passengers killed was lower.

According to the data, only a few people survived all of the crashes. However, the majority of the occurrences were unintentional. There were no instances of hijacking or criminal activity in any of the cases.

IATA neglected call

The International Air Transport Association encouraged South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authorities in a letter dated February 8, 2021, to ensure that the desired level of safety and efficiency is implemented in the lower airspace.

Many interventions, according to the association, have not resulted in a clear improvement in safety performance.

Furthermore, the aviation body claimed that Juba is a difficult operational environment due to the following reported deficiencies:

  • Air Traffic Services.
  • Industrial action by civilian air traffic service personnel.
  • Deployment of military air traffic controllers to replace civilian personnel.
  • RNAV/GNSS approach procedures are deficient. Previous procedures were cancelled and are no longer valid.
  • Frequency congestion as a result of combined Ground, Tower and Approach control services on a single frequency.

IATA recommended that airlines operating within the South Sudan Airspace at a minimum should: 

  1. Treat the operation as specialized, and continue to exercise robust risk management practices pertaining to the operation.
  1. Ensure crews are well briefed of the above challenges.
  1. Operators should continue reporting issues/concerns in the above airspace using safety reporting mechanisms and, where applicable, the IATA GADM IDX program.

However, the appeal appears to have been in vain, or authorities may be carrying it out undercover.

About the Authors:

Justin Anthony, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, updated this data story (already in the 211 Check archive), which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.

The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December) 

Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information 

COVID-19 Vaccine Statistics in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State as of October 2021

Data Story: COVID-19 in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State; Cases and Vaccine Statistics

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Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State had registered 775 COVID-19 cases and 01 death as of October 2021 according to its Health Ministry

By Ngor Deng

Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal is one of the states where the novel coronavirus has been identified. Following the confirmation of a few cases, a COVID-19 isolation center was established at the Light House in Aweil.

According to an announcement by the management of the COVID-19 taskforce in the State, the isolation center was closed in May due to a lack of funding from the government and implementing health organizations.

Because of a lack of financial support, the trained health workers who were providing services abandoned the center, causing the Covid-19 patients and suspects to live in disarray.

What Is The Number Of People Affected?

Between January and October 2021, 775 positive cases were recorded according to the State Coordination office on Covid-19 pandemic hence the number of positive confirmed cases in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state as of October 2021 was 775.

Only 71 patients within the registered or recorded were admitted in the isolation center until they became fully recovered or rescued before it was closed down in May.

A pregnant woman died of COVID-19 in October 2021 while under the care of Medicines Sans Frontières (MSF) at Aweil civil hospital, while four positive COVID-19 cases were officially confirmed at the same time.

Table Showing COVID-19 Cases Statistics in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State as of October 2021

Total Cases Recorded775
Cases Admitted at Isolation Center71
Cases Not Admitted at Isolation Center703
Death Cases1

Vaccination Against Covid-19 Spreads In NBGS-Aweil Government And Health Partners Response

The Covid-19 vaccines arrived in Aweil on June 12, 2021, and vaccinations began immediately. In the first round, 2, 856 people were vaccinated, and the vaccines were finished by August 2021.

The second vaccination was effective from August to October, and 4,581 people were immunized. According to state coordinator for the Expanded Immunization Program Santino Ngong Chan, males accounted for 3,635, while females accounted for 946.

Table Showing COVID-19 Vaccine Statistics in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State as of October 2021

Total Number of People Vaccinated4,581
Male3,635
Female946

Recommendation

Despite numerous requests, medical officials at the COVID 19 taskforce office reiterated calls on the National Ministry of Health and partners to support the isolation center. 

About the Authors:

Ngor Deng, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.

The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December) 

Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information 

Number of Learners Affected by the Flood Situation

Data Story: Floods destroy 200 schools in Jonglei State, over 60,000 school-going children affected

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Jonglei State has 1,025 schools with an enrollment of 91,500 learners this year. In the 200 schools destroyed by floods, over 60,000 learners have been affected.

By Deng Ghai Deng

Authorities in South Sudan’s Jonglei state say more than 200 schools are submerged in flood waters and this is hampering education in the State.  Francis Mayen, the director of School in Jonglei state ministry of education many students and pupils did not return to the school when school reopens in May.

Jonglei State has 1,025 schools with an enrollment of 91,500 learners this year. In the 200 schools destroyed by floods, over 60,000 learners have been affected.

“The problem of flooding which started in 2020 has greatly impacted education in Jonglei state. Most schools in the 9 counties are not operational, they are either shut down because the students left the area or the premises are completely under water.” Mayen said 

Mayen says 70 percent of the students who failed to return to schools are female. He says challenges of school fees, lack of sanitary pads, earlier marriage and economic hindrance could have contributed to the dropout because floods destroyed the majority of the people’s livelihood.

“When crises such as the floods struck many people in South Sudan ignore education and some people opt to marry their daughters off. Economic crisis is also another problem. So when you look at the number of students who are now back at school you see more female students are missing.” Mayen added. 

 In September, the education cluster led by UNICEF and the state government initiated the mapping exercise to determine the effect of flooding on learning activities in Jonglei. The mapping – which covered accessible schools in ten locations – shows that learning and school structures have been severely affected there.

Duku Francis, UNICEF’s education specialist in Jonglei, told reporters that the UN agency was working with the state authorities to support schools.

“We will map out these schools that have been displaced or flooded, and when a school is able to identify a new land, we will provide some basic support to this school,” Francis said 

Recently, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Close to 800,000 people have been affected by rising waters across the country since May, in particular in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states. The agency stated that Jonglei and Unity were the most affected states accounting for 58 percent of people affected by floods in the country. Early seasonal rains have caused rivers to overflow resulting in flooding in large areas and settlements

Last month the children said the weakened health system compounded by multiple shocks, including COVID-19, has also impacted the health and wellbeing of millions – with more children already needing treatment for acute malnutrition in 2021. Furthermore, an estimated 2.8 million children (51% girls) are out of school in 2021, in addition to 98,500 school-aged refugee children, of which 18,000 children are out of school. “These children need immediate child protection services from multiple risks including recruitment by armed groups, psychosocial stress, family separation, violence, abuse and exploitation in 61 most affected counties,” said Rama Hansraj, Country Director – Save the Children.

About the Authors:

Deng Ghai Deng, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.

The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December) 

Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information.

Number of Households Affected By Floods (As of October 2021)

Data Story: Floods, Response and Support in South Sudan – 2021

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Floods displace thousands in six states across South Sudan amid limited supplies, a funding shortfall, and announcement by weathermen that water levels would continue to rise in the coming months.

By David Uku

Data collected by 211 Check according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) indicates how floods affected thousands of people in South Sudan, the response, and support from NGOs during the rainy season.

South Sudan, the world’s newest country and in East Africa, gained independence from Sudan in 2011. It has been through civil war and conflict, as well as devastating floods that have affected six of the current ten states.

On October 8, 2021, the South Sudanese government approved ten million US dollars as an emergency fund for flood-affected populations throughout the country, and Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Information, stated in Juba that the relief package approved by the cabinet will be used to help resettle those who have been displaced from their homes, in addition to providing food relief.

“The people who are displaced are very much affected by floods, and after the floods have subsided they need to be resettled in their areas of origin because they don’t have anything at present and all that they need is to be rescued now,” he told the pressed after the weekly cabinet meeting

As of October 2021, the states most affected by flooding are Jonglei, Unity, and Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Upper Nile, Warrap, and Western Equatoria.

Statistics of Floods Affected Population Around the Country:


S/No.
State		Number of Households
Funding 
Gov/NGOs
01Jonglei State 160,000$ 10,000,000South Sudan Government 
02Unity State 146,0001.7 billion OCHA
03Northern Bahr El Ghazal47,00020 million South Sudan Humanitarian Fund
04Upper Nile State  44,000
05Warrap State25,000
06Western Equatoria states.600
UN Agency Estimated Total 
01Report from UNOCHA affected by six States 466,000
02Report from UNRefugee affected by six states 380,000

Response from the and NGOs

OCHA last month warned of limited supplies and a funding shortfall, saying that it had only received 54 per cent of the $1.7 billion (1.4 billion euros) required to pay for programmers in the country.

IGAD weathermen recently announced that water levels would continue to rise in the coming months.

The Humanitarian Coordinator says it will allocate US$20 million from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and part of the allocation will support flood response efforts.

The Flooding Season

Every year, heavy rainfall from April to October causes the Nile, Pibor, Sobat, Lol, and other rivers to overflow. Inland flooding was caused by the rains, and parts of the country (Jonglei State, Unity State, Northern Bahr Elghazal, Upper Nile State, Warrap State, and Western Equatoria State) were affected.

Conclusion

The government and humanitarian agencies must devise a good system for evacuating people from areas that are affected by floods during the rainy season in the country, because climate predicts that heavy rainfall will occur in the country every year from April to October.

It is too early to tell, but the coming years will be crucial in determining the seriousness of the government and humanitarian organizations in developing a good system for evacuating people from a bad place to a better place.

David Uku, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.

The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December) 

Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information 

FEATURED IMAGE FOR THE LAPTOP SCHEME HOAX211 Check

Fact-Check: Viral Link Asking Students to Apply for Laptop Scheme 2021/22 is a Hoax

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The hoax appears to be aimed at students who do not have laptop computers. While the message is a hoax, the lack of proper access to online learning environments is all too real.

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

According to 211 Check findings, a viral link being shared on WhatsApp claiming to be asking students to apply for laptop schemes is a hoax. The message that has gone viral on WhatsApp does not specify who is offering the laptop scheme.

The claim in the viral WhatsApp message reads, 

“The Applications for the Students Laptop Scheme 2021/22 Is Available

This scheme is open to all students who for financial reasons are not in a position to purchase a laptop of their own and are in need of laptop in their level of education

Students that can apply

-All Students can apply for the helping laptop support scheme

Eligiblity-All countries

20,000 student recieved laptop in 2020 due to covid

In 2021 Over 560,000 students will be given free laptop to enhance their learning this month

Application has began and students that have applied have started gettig their laptops

ONLY STUDENTS CAN APPLY.” 

The message includes a link to a webpage that makes a similar claim and asks students to enter their age bracket (10-50) years, full name, educational level, laptop brand, and age range.

It also claims that if a person correctly answers the question (5+1-2=?) they will be automatically qualified for the laptop.

The website prompts the user to check their eligibility by asking for their name, pretending to verify their identity, and requesting that the user share the link with WhatsApp friends and groups until “the blue bar is full.” The website redirects the user to a spam advertisement once the step is completed.

Request that the user share the link with WhatsApp friends and groups until “the blue bar is full.”

According to a website reputation checker, the website that was registered 28 days ago on 2021-10-28 and is hosted at this IP address: 209.159.145.116 has been blacklisted by several engines, including Avira, CRDF, and Fortinet.

The message or its website do not specify who is providing the laptops or to whom students are applying. Legitimate schemes usually identify the organizations that are behind them.

Conclusion:

It is not uncommon to receive WhatsApp messages containing links claiming that the recipient has won prizes such as a free expensive smartphone or simply a shoe.

One thing that all of these messages have in common is that they all require the recipient to forward it to at least a certain number of WhatsApp chats. However, the claims that accompany these links can appear genuine and difficult to dismiss, such as when they appear to be disseminating information about schemes and use official institution logos.

The above hoax appears to be aimed at students who do not have laptop computers. While the message is a hoax, the lack of proper access to online learning environments is all too real.

260370917_426395955658036_3316745237288104446_n211 Check

Fact-Check: Images of wounded man not taken from South Sudan

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By Charles Lotara

Disturbing images of a man under intensive care unit are being peddled by social media platforms with claims that the man was found unconscious in part of South Sudan.

False Information Being Peddled on Facebook

On Tuesday evening, Insight Juba, a Facebook page with over 16k followers boldly claimed that the images are those of Deng Wol Deng, a university graduate from Western Bhar-el-Ghazal State who got ambushed along Juba – Nimule Highway.

In another staggering claim, the page says the victim in the images was on his way to Eastern Equatoria to assist a group of physically challenged children when his car was attacked along the road leaving two people dead with one survivor.

With scant details of the incident and with no citation of official sources, the page called on the general public to avoid travelling along the Juba – Nimule Highway and urged security forces to provide protection.

Insight Juba, which was created in 2020, cited 64 Tribes, another Facebook page as the primary source of their story.

However, a quick search through the Facebook page of 64 Tribes in relation to the story returned no result.

There have been no official reports of armed violence along the Juba – Nimule Highway in the last two months.

A geo-location search using Pic2Map returned no EXIF data for obvious reasons. Pic2Map requires unaltered photo files in order to process the data, which is most likely not the case with this image. And, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter strip out EXIF data from uploaded photos, which is true of the images circulating.

But a Google reverse search showed that the incident the man in the picture was caught up in actually happened in Omdurman during the #ParadeNovember2021 when Sudanese took to the streets to register their displeasure with the military plot to bequeath civilian rule.

The situation led to civil unrest with an unconfirmed number of people getting either injured or killed. The images were first posted on 22/11/2021 within 6:47PM by two Twitter accounts all claiming that the man whose identity was not established at the time, was in a critical condition and admitted at Al-Waad Hospital in Omdurman, one of the most populated cities in Sudan.

But both Twitter accounts carry pseudonyms and their bios only imply that they are pro-revolution. However, this does not disqualify the possibility of the images being taken in Sudan as they first appeared on Sudanese-run Twitter platforms.

#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.

JOSEPHINE JOSEPH LAGU SCAM (1)211 Check

Scam Alert: The Business Opportunity on the Facebook Page “Josephine Joseph Lagu Foundation” is a Hoax

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When contacted by 211 Check Josephine Joseph Lagu who is the current minister for Agriculture and Food Security, said the business opportunity is fake and that she has not set up any foundation

By 211 Check Editorial Team

There is an ongoing fake business opportunity being run in a Facebook ad on a page named “Josephine Joseph Lagu Foundation.”

The post claims that following a successful Trade deal between the so called Josephine Joseph Lagu Foundation and the Commonwealth, they had signed a Trade and Investment Agreement to sponsor and invest in small and medium enterprises across South Sudan

Here is the full text:

“Business Sponsorship Opportunity!

Following a successful Trade deal between our Foundation and the Commonwealth, We have signed a Trade and Investment Agreement to sponsor and invest in small and medium enterprises across the country. This investment is aimed at supporting farmers and businessmen to cope with the changing global trends. If you want our foundation to invest in your business/farm kindly read more details and apply via link: https://tinyurl.com/5zbpt95p”

Fake Business Opportunity Post

The post then directs people to click on a link that takes them to the following google form requesting personal information among others:

Google Form of the Fake Business Opportunity

Findings:

211 Check made an investigation and found the following:

The Facebook Page was created yesterday, Friday, 12th November 2021 and immediately ran a paid Facebook ad. Opportunities on new platforms on any digital space are highly suspicious.

We contacted Josephine Joseph Lagu who is the current minister for Agriculture and Food Security, but she denied owning a foundation or being aware of one in her name.

“The business opportunity being run in my name is fake. I have not set up any foundation, neither am I aware of any in my name,” Josephine Lagu told 211 Check Saturday morning.

Conclusion:

The business opportunity being run on the Facebook Page Josephine Joseph Lagu Foundation is a SCAM. There is no legal Foundation named Josephine Joseph Lagu in South Sudan. 

#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.

INVESTIGATION211 Check

Online Fraud: A case study of SMK Electronics Corporation and Prime Express Logistics

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How highly sophisticated fraudsters and cyber crime network scam South Sudanese in fake business transactions

By Oriba Douglas 

Introduction:

“I have been cheated $450 by online shopping scammers,” claims Mokili Elias Justin, a Juba South Sudanese based in a report to 211 Check

He then goes ahead to list a company calling itself SMK Electronics Corporation, who through their eye-catching advertisements on Facebook, lured him into a transaction that saw the Company SMK Electronics Corporation convince him, Mokili Elias Justin, to buy from them. He was then referred to WhatsApp, where a United States phone number +15108546513, helped seal the deal through a booking and payment. 

Facebook Page of the SMK Electronics Corporation

Payment was done as per wishes of “the WhatsApp contact +15108546513” and was to be deposited through local money transfers based in Juba whom the WhatsApp contact knew so very well. 

The recipients of the payments were Kenyan numbers +254769925315 and +254741963091. 

SMK Electronics then assured him that a courier calling itself Prime Express Logistics (https://www.primeexpresslogistics.com) had been given his personal details i.e., Full Name and Location taken and will do the delivery. He was then given a tracking number: 1633159726 so as to track the shipment of his package. He was then referred to visit https://www.primeexpresslogistics.com/track.php to track his package from there. 

On him visiting the site and inputting the given tracking number, a static HTML page displays in table format, the expected delivery date which was 04/10/2021 together with both the shipper’s and receiver’s information parallel to one another. 

He, Moikili Elias Justin, then emailed Prime Express Logistics to inquire about his package as it was experiencing a delay. 

They replied to him and stated that he had to pay customs fees to the tune of $152 and it had to be paid through Mpesa to the phone number +254769925315 registered under Ngatia Kagema in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alarmingly after going through all this, the package never arrived and he was totally ignored by all parties to this transaction. (Both the online seller and the courier)

Investigation:

211 Check started this investigation by collaborating on all of Mokili Elias Justin’s claims. It was found that what his claims were, was indeed fact! He had been parted from his hard-earned cash without receiving the product he bought online.

211 Check went through screenshots of conversations between Mokili Elias Justin and SMK Electronics Corporation (the online business), then that of his conversations with the WhatsApp number +15108546513 (Agent of the online business) and finally his conversations with Prime Express Logistics (The courier to do the delivery) through screenshots of emails between them.

From these conversations, 211 Check highlighted the following:

  • Company doing the sales is calling itself SMK Electronics Corporation
  • WhatsApp number +15108546513 is acting as company representative for SMK Electronics Corporation
  • Prime Express Logistics, was the courier that Mokili’s package would be delivered through

211 Check after careful thorough investigation on Company profiles and registration details can confidently state the following on the highlighted points

  1. SMK Electronics Corporation, USA (www.smkusa.com) has no official Facebook page thus the one Mokili Elias Justin came across through Facebook promoted content advertisement is an imposter taking advantage of this absence. The Facebook page calling itself SMK Electronics Corporation is a fraudulent imposter seeking to confuse intending buyers that it is indeed the original SMK Electronics Corporation, USA (which is a subsidiary of a manufacturing company). Its parent company is SMK Corporation which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. (www.smk.co.jp) 
  2. The WhatsApp number +15108546513 is registered under the names Zizzey Biz Lines and is not traceable to a person or registered business. 211 Check can firmly state that this number is in no way a legitimate number for a representative of the SMK Electronics Corporation, USA. Official contacts can be found on this site (www.smkusa.com) 
  3. There is a registered company called Prime Express Logistics (https://www.primexpresslogistics.com) The one fronted to Mokili is also calling itself Prime Express Logistics (https://www.primeexpresslogistics.com) is a known fraudulent website seeking to scam customers.

Red Flags:

An in-depth look at both the online business and courier under scrutiny was able to produce facts that can be grouped under “Red flags” (suspicious, irregularities, misleading, not true)

Red Flag 1: The Courier – Prime Express Logistics

  • The site (https://www.primeexpresslogistics.com)  purported to be for Prime Express delivery has no any other functionality apart from what is seen on the home page plus the page where you are made to believe that you will be able to track your package shipments. The site has no working buttons linking to services, contact us and about us. Their sign-up page links to (https://www.courier.citysprint.uk) – a site that is totally unrelated to this one.
  • The email provided on the site [email protected] is not working.
  • The images used on the site are also present on another site called Prime Express Logistics (https://www.primexpresslogistics.com)
  • No mention of any office locations or physical local or headquarters anywhere on the site.
  • No mention of how said company is to deliver your goods to you.
  • No e-commerce capabilities on the site, no clear financial documentation on conducting business with them.
  • The location given “300 Lighting Way Secaucus, NJ 07094, USA.” points to Safilo, USA (A manufacturing company). Next to the location information is a telephone field that is deliberately left empty. (Like really, why won’t a company want to share their office telephone line?!?)

Red Flag 2 :  The Facebook Page – SMK Electronics Corporation

  • The Facebook Page created in the name of SMK Electronics Corporation has only 3 likes. Thankfully, their promoted content too has minimal interactions. Averaging 1 comment per post. It was opened in August 2020.
  • It is a fraudulent disguise as SMK Corporation (www.smk.co.jp) even using the official SMK Corporation logo.
  • Be informed that the SMK corporation started in Japan as a manufacturing Company in 1925.

Red Flag 3: The WhatsApp dealings

  • The transaction on what was to be bought was done and concluded on WhatsApp. Payment directives were also given through WhatsApp to local Mpesa registered numbers in Kenya.

Red Flag 4: Unreceipted Payments

  • 211 Check saw no receipts for the payments to Kenyan numbers +254769925315 and +254741963091 with exception to Mpesa Agent logs. The online seller did not officially acknowledge any of the payments.

Tools used in the analysis:

Crowd tangle analysis on the Facebook page SMK Electronics Corporation revealed its low content reach with its main market target as South Sudan and also ruled out any current ongoing advertising by the page. It also disclosed that the page only has 3 followers.

Analysing the website www.primeexpresslogistics.com using https://whois.domaintools.com‘s algorithm showed that the website was registered and hosted in February 2021 on a 1 year license. All other information would help identify the site owners has not been made public by the algorithm on command from www.namecheaphosting.com 

A look at the source code to the website indicates a hastily assembled site with only two functioning pages i.e., www.primeexpresslogistics.com and www.primeexpresslogistics.com/track.php. All other buttons on site do not function and content is outdated, reading 2019 yet site was hosted in Feb, 2021.Further Look into the source code using Chrome browser Developer tools indicates links to other unrelated sites meaning this web-paged was hastily copied and pasted from some other site on the internet then refurbished to give it a new external look and feel.

The page www.primeexpresslogistics.com ranked the lowest score on the site www.scam-detector.com with a score of 1.5 out of 100.Being branded a highly suspicious and dubious account according to the site Scam Detector’s algorithm.

Conclusion:

Both the online business using the stolen brand name of SMK Electronics corporation and the courier using the not so popular and un-trustworthy name of Prime Express logistics are fraudulent. 

The interconnection between the two is no doubt a cleverly concealed team effort to dupe prospective customers that they are dealing with a genuine American representative from the online business and a Kenyan courier. But still fail and all payments are made to Kenyan contacts thus indicating the culprits are closer to home than we think.

Sadly, proof of their identity remains a mystery. One still is for sure though; they are fraudulent. A classic example of the dreaded online courier fraud!

Online Business and Transaction Tips:

An online- business is one that sells its goods/merchandise to customers over the internet.

A courier service involves the delivery of goods/items from one company/individual to another. These are either brought to them by a seller or they go pick it directly from a seller. There are many companies both local and international couriers that offer these services such as locally within South Sudan is Juba Errands and Primefuels South Sudan, and International is DHL among others.

Obligations of e-commerce company/online business:

Avail exact goods as advertised through their online business to the clients as per purchase agreement through relevant delivery means i.e. couriers.

Obligations couriers:

Pick goods from online businesses or receive goods from online businesses and deliver to the buyer.

Failure to meet both obligations:

If both the online business and courier fail to live up to their obligations, the customer may in some cases get a refund or sadly accept the fact that he/she may be a victim of;

Advanced fee fraud scam: Where advanced payments are made for goods or services that do not materialize.

None delivery scam: Where an online business accepts payment for a good or service but fails to have it delivered to the customer.

A customer going through such an experience may warrant an in-depth search for answers. And this investigative piece seeks to help one such buyer who is seeking for answers.

October 2021 South Sudan Social Media Health Report211 Check

South Sudan Social Media Health Report – October 2021

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Most online discussions among South Sudanese continue to happen mainly on Facebook and WhatsApp groups. It is also clear that digital natives are more interested in social issues around music, sports and comedy rather than politics and/or conspiracies.

A 211 Check, Defy Hate Now South Sudan Report

Introduction:

This social media health report is based on data collected during working days from October 1st to October 31st, 2021. The major goal of the report is to examine the main and most talked about conversations on various social media platforms. 

The report as well studies the overall dynamics of hate speech, dis/misinformation and incitement to violence contents shared by South Sudanese online and foreign nationals related to South Sudanese regardless of being situated within the country or abroad – the study also looks at South Sudan’s digital and social media landscape and growth. 

This month’s monitoring comprises an overall assessment of top Facebook pages, groups, Instagram Accounts and Twitter Handles using CrowdTangle, Vicinitas and other social media monitoring techniques. Report’s key topics are identified based on the level of participation and the amount of attention it receives on social media.

In the October 2021 reporting period, 122 of 196 pages published posts in the current timeframe for a total of 1,725 posts and an average of 2.02 posts/day. 

Compared to the previous time frame, interactions were -24.45%. 

Key issues of the month – Facebook:

  1. Foreign Ministry sets exams for candidates wishing to be enrolled into foreign service.

The Ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation conducted entry examinations for candidates enrolling into foreign service. The move is said to have come after the government said some employees are obtaining certificates through fraudulent means.

The post shared by Nyamilepedia on Facebook got over 610 reactions, 95 comments and 28 shares. Many commentators raised doubts with some saying there is possibility that the examinations “were leaked” while others wondered why in the first place they didn’t see advertisements for the enrollment.

  1. Emmanuel Jal visits Juba

Emmanuel Jal, a South Sudanese recording artist based in Canada arrived in Juba in the last week of October to a warm welcome by family members. In a video he shared on his Facebook page, there were 65,000 views, over 2,700 reactions, 263 comments and 89 shares. The comments were mainly thanking him for coming home and others asked for a charity concern so he can perform his songs.

  1. What is stopping you from marrying a dinka?

A question by Juba TV “What is stopping you from marrying a dinka?” generated a huge debate in the comments section – some of which constitutes hate speech against certain tribes. The post had 665 reactions, 309 comments and 10 shares.

  1. Motivational Post from Max Jay

Max Jay, a South Sudanese artist, posted “God always got you” giving the example of a Rwandan who was once called a monkey. His Facebook post got over 23,000 reactions, 1,300 comments and 449 shares.

Many commentators expressed sympathy and how merciful God is.

  1. A reflection of the Mundari Culture

Visit South Sudan shared a photo captioned “Mundari culture, friendly people” in which a white lady posed for a picture with some Mundari ladies. The post attracted 6,000 reactions, 192 comments and 77 shares. Many comments were appreciative about how the Mundari people continue to uphold their culture.

  1. Ensuring access to COVID-19 vaccines for all in South Sudan

UNICEF reflects its efforts to encourage women to get vaccinated. UNICEF says it was working with partners to dispel rumors and to create a demand for vaccines.

The Facebook post attracted 8,300 reactions, 123 comments and 37 shares. 

There were some cases of vaccine misinformation in the comments section.

  1. Silver X meets Vice President Wani Igga at a youth peace camp

South Sudan Singer Silver X meets Vice President Wani Igga at a youth peace camp in Lobonok. 

  1. South Sudan Football Association expresses hopes of winning

South Sudan Football Association Coach Simon James Yor tells fans that they are hopeful of securing a win against Gambia following a bad start in their first two matches of the competition.

Key issues of the month – Instagram:

  1. MTN CEO meets President Salva Kiir

On Instagram, one of the leading posts of the month was President Kiir’s meeting with MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas and CEO Ralph Mupita in which they promised to invest $120m in capital ventures in the next three years.

  1. Acacia village welcomes hospitality trainees

A picture shared by the Acacia village welcoming their three hospitality trainees in the hotel sector.

  1. South Sudanese Model, Monica Ayen wins Eric Omondi’s wife material show

Monica Ayen, a South Sudanese Model wins Kenyan Comedian Eric Omondi’s wife material season 3. The post by Hot in Juba has over 350 interactions and a few comments.

  1. Emmanuel Jal comes to Juba

Emmanuel Jal, a South Sudanese recording artist based in Canada arrived in Juba in the last week of October to a warm welcome by family members. In a video he shared on his Instagram had 2,151 views and about 45 comments.

Key issues of the month – Twitter:

On Twitter, where South Sudan has a small number of users, about 718 handles in the last 10 days of October made 2,000 posts with an engagement of 7,000 and influence of 4.3 million.

Screen capture of the #SSOT word cloud. The most used words are in bold.

Our analysis found out that most of the posts by South Sudanese on Twitter are retweets constituting about 68.6%. About 29.6% are original tweets while 1.82% are replies.

The type of rich media used are photos constituting upto 95.8%

Screen Capture showing the types of post and rich media respectively

#SSOT, remains the most popular hashtag among South Sudanese on Twitter followed by #SouthSudan

Screen Capture of Leading Hashtags and User mentions

Analysis

Most online discussions among South Sudanese continue to happen mainly on Facebook and WhatsApp groups. It is also clear that digital natives are more interested in social issues around music, sports and comedy rather than politics and/or conspiracies.

Instagram and Twitter: The number of South Sudanese on Instagram and Twitter continues to be really low. Most of the interesting and engaging discussions around South Sudan topics happen on Facebook and in WhatsApp groups. On Twitter South Sudan content is unified by the hashtags #SSOT and #SouthSudan. The word cloud above clearly gives an indication of the dominating discussions on Twitter.

Conclusion:

Using advanced social media monitoring methods, conversation, and content analysis, this report analyzed online hate speech, misinformation and fake news in South Sudan. 

According to the month-long assessment report, contemporary social media behavior is becoming a severe worry. Hate speech can be found not just in postings, but also in comment sections.

Furthermore, the study discovered that what individuals are talking about and sharing on social media overlaps. People are exposed to a variety of realities, and as a result, they express varying viewpoints and instead of being honest and having a reasonable dialogue, social media users prefer to utilize slurs and incendiary phrases. 

As a result, the report identified that overall social media involvement is widely healthy, with minimal nasty content and calls for violence being produced and disseminated. 

The 211 Check team also observed that mainstream media was not involved in the spread of conspiracies but employed  conflict-sensitive reporting practices. However, this is the moment for all stakeholders to address key issues before they become a source of unanticipated events.  

End….