Fact-Check: This is not a picture showing thMISLEADING IMAGE OF SHERIKHAT BUS PARK211 Check

Fact-Check: This is not a picture showing the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat, Juba

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The photo first used by The City Review Digital in its story “Sherikat youths invade Kampala park demanding jobs” is of a bus park found in Birendranagar, Nepal not Sherikhat, Juba

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A story by The City Review Digital, a local newspaper in South Sudan published on Saturday, 23rd October 2021 titled “Sherikat youths invade Kampala park demanding jobs” used a misleading image and caption depicting the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat Juba.

Misleading Image by The City Review Digital captioned “Kampala Bus Park in Sherikhat

A reverse image search by 211 Check reveals that the picture is of a bus park in Birendranagar, Nepal. Nepal is a country in South Asia. 

Google Maps also shows the image as of April 2018 for the Bus Park in Birendranagar, Nepal.

Google Maps, Bus Park, Birendranagar, Nepal – April 2018

Conclusion:

The image and its caption in the story are misleading. The picture does not show the Kampala bus park in Sherikhat, Juba, it is a bus park in Birendranagar in Nepal, South Asia.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

Central Bank of South Sudan Hoax211 Check

Fact-Check: Is the Bank of South Sudan offering rewards to its Website Visitors?

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“This scam uses Bank of South Sudan’s brand names and logo in order to make the prize look legitimate. They claim that the BoSS offers prizes worth 300 thousand United States Dollars. This is not true, the BoSS does not offer prizes, awards, or funds,” reads a statement shared by the Bank of South Sudan through its Facebook Page.

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

An imposter website in the name of the Bank of South Sudan claims that it is offering checks through “the bank’s rewards center” to its website visitors.

In one of the screenshots obtained by 211 Check and SafetyComm South Sudan, the website said a visitor had won a Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018).

But, is the Bank of South Sudan currently giving out prizes to its website visitors? Find out:

Screenshot of Imposter Website Page claiming that a visitor had won a Samsung Galaxy

Findings:

211 Check examination of the unrelated website: http://altajari-prizes.xyz/ [do not click on the link] reveals that the domain name was registered only 16 days ago as of Wednesday, 18/08/2021. A domain created less than 3 months ago is considered new and thus potentially suspicious. The site also has an unknown trustworthiness score on the Web of Trust.

The Bank of South Sudan also released a statement on Wednesday, 18/08/2021 afternoon that it was warning the public “about fraudulent activities being perpetrated in its name on social media through a fraud scheme”

“This scam uses Bank of South Sudan’s brand names and logo in order to make the prize look legitimate. They claim that the BoSS offers prizes worth 300 thousand United States Dollars. This is not true, the BoSS does not offer prizes, awards, or funds,” reads a statement shared by the Bank of South Sudan through its Facebook Page.

You should also note that the official website for the Central Bank of South Sudan is hosted at: https://www.boss.gov.ss/

Conclusion:

Do not provide your account details or personal identification information to a scammer. Do not click suspicious links on the internet.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback

Fact-Check Sorry, Ecobank not offering $ 3000 present on 40th Anniversary211 Check

Fact-Check: Sorry, Ecobank not offering $ 3000 present on 40th Anniversary

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It’s true that Ecobank has an upcoming event. But it’s not an anniversary, not its 40th either. This is an event hinged on corporate social responsibility and no participants are required to click the malicious link above in order to join. And, there will be no specified $3000 present, at least.

By Charles Lotara

As the Ecobank Day draws closer, a promotional message with a malicious link has hit WhatsApp platform and has been shared multiple times.

The message prompts users to “click the link to participate in the survey” and “have a chance to win $3000”. This is purportedly happening on the 40th Anniversary of Ecobank.

It is untrue. Ecobank was established in 1985 according to the data on the company’s official website. That makes the bank 36 years old.

Screenshot of Scam WhatsApp Message

The Uniform Resource Locator

Further verification and fact-checking on the link reveals that the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) http://dinnerscare.top attached to the WhatsApp message crafted by a Nigerian user was registered on 28/09/2021.

According to Whois.com, a site that reveals domain identity, the website is hosted by Alibaba.com, Chinese-owned e-commerce giant.

While it is conventionally common that a credible website can be hosted outside the country of the domain registrant, the web address attached to this promotional message attributed to Ecobank is registered under a company called lvhai Ming in Liaoning, a province in China.

The company’s details could not be established by 211 Check as it was not indexed by major search engines at the time of writing. This could be because the company is still new and yet to be indexed by search engines or it is operating as a pseudonym, an aspect search crawler strongly discourages.

A Safe Web Report Generated by Norton Safe Web, a web reputation management service by NortonLifeLock, rated the site http://dinnerscare.top as “Cautious”, among sites that  “may have a small number of threats and annoyances”.

The domain analyses indicate no link between Ecobank and the URL on the text accompanied by random characters.

About the Ecobank Event

It is true that Ecobank has an upcoming event slated for 22nd October 2021, which is on Friday this week.

Dubbed the Ecobank Day, it is the day on which the bank will be “raising about mental health”. The Pan African Bank started the three-year campaign ‘Together for Better Health’ in 2019 to show its commitment to preventing NCDs, which encompasses mental, neurological and substance use disorders.

“We are raising awareness and helping to prevent the incidence of NCDs across Africa. The annual highlight of the campaign is during Ecobank Day, our pan-African initiative that takes place in the last quarter of each year, when Ecobank and its staff give back to their communities,” a statement on the bank’s official website read.

Conclusion

It’s true that Ecobank has an upcoming event. But it’s not an anniversary, not its 40th either. This is an event hinged on corporate social responsibility and no participants are required to click the malicious link above in order to join. And, there will be no specified $3000 present, at least.

To know more about our fact-checking process, visit:  https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp Message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you a feedback.

Copy of National Youth Empowerment Fund Hoax211 Check

Fact-Check: Has the South Sudan Government Announced Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination?

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On Wednesday 13th October 2021, a press release by the office of The Vice President for Service Cluster and Chairman of the National Taskforce on COVID-19, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, announced that Public and Private Institutions will now have to undergo Mandatory COVID-19 Test and Vaccination.

By David Uku

Several media reports published in the last few days state that the South Sudan government has announced a new mandatory COVID-19 Test and Vaccination for all private and public institutions in the country, 211 Check was contacted to verify.

Findings: 

On Wednesday 13th October 2021, a press release by the office of The Vice President for Service Cluster who also doubles as the Chairman of the National Taskforce on COVID-19, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, announced that Public and Private Institutions will now have to undergo Mandatory COVID-19 Test and Vaccination.

“We will carry out mass testing, Vaccination programs, Rapid Diagnostic Tests,  in all the public and private institutions. This is to caution all the institutions because in the next few months, travelling outside might require mandatory COVID-19 vaccine certificates and it can help to gauge the level of infections in the country and adhere to the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs),” partly reads the announcement.

John Pasquale Rumunu, the Health Ministry’s Director-General for Preventive Health Services and Acting COVID-19 Incident Manager said on Sunday they are set to roll out mass testing using the rapid diagnostic test to gauge the level of infection in the country for both public officials and the private sector in a bid to contain coronavirus. 

‘“The taskforce resolved to carry out mass vaccination program in all the public and private institutions, this is to caution all the institutions to know that in the next few months to come travelling outside might require mandatory COVID-19 vaccine certificates” he told Journalists in Juba on Sunday during the regular media briefing on COVID-19. 

Sacha Bootsman, World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Incident manager in South Sudan disclosed that so far only 0.3 per cent of South Sudan’s 12.2 million population is vaccinated. According to her, they have administered 120,412 vaccine doses to 35,755 people out of 2.4 million targets they had set in April this year when vaccination commenced.

South Sudan has vaccinated 22,103 of its health workers with only 2,782 receiving the Johnson and Johnson jabs since October 8 when the vaccination campaign was launched.

The United States donated 152,950 doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to South Sudan in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic on 14th September 2021, it is the vaccine currently being used the country following the completion of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccines from the COVAX facility. It should be noted that South Sudan has not bought a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 Cases:

South Sudan has a total of 12,223 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 11,726 recoveries and 130 deaths since April last year when the first case was registered in the country  

Conclusion:

It is TRUE that the Government has announced mass COVID-19 testing and vaccination. The announcement has been made by both the National Taskforce on COVID-19 and the Ministry of Health. 

National Youth Empowerment Fund Hoax211 Check

Fact-Check: Is the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme Legitimate?

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The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an initiative named Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) and the application dates for 2021 have not yet been announced. Their official site is hosted at www.p-yes.gov.ng 

By: Oriba Douglas 

A widely shared WhatsApp message claims that the National Youth Empowerment Fund, a federal government agency in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is giving out ₦150,000 – ₦550,000 grants to citizens under the age of 13-65 years from 2021 – 2024 (it fails to specify which country). It calls for this to be achieved through interested persons applying and registering through their given website hosted at https://youth-empowerments.ethut.co 

Message Extract in full:

The message reads;

“*National Youth Empowerment Fund Application Form 2021 Is Out*

National Youth Empowerment Funding Application Form 2021 online for registration exercise which is the quickest to apply for is now out for all bonafide citizens only who needs helping hands in their various Business and Education

*The National Youth Empowerment Funds is vision into giving out ₦150,000 – ₦550,000 grant to every Citizen under the age 13-65 years from 2021-2024*.

Age 13-25 (150,000-300,000)

Age 25-65(400,000-700,000)

*October Payments has began for all applicants, Register To be Part of the Beneficiaries

*Strictly for Students and Business owners*

Check Eligibility and Apply here

WhatsApp Message of the Scam

Investigation:

211 Check followed the link attached to the WhatsApp message. It leads to a site on the internet with the URL https://youth-empowerments.ethut.co. The page presents the visitor with a bold header relaying the message Presidential Youth Empowerment Fund and is flaunted on the left by a logo that is used by the official P-YES, on the right a coat of arms of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and below are the Flags of Uganda, Ghana, Cameroun, Namibia plus the Coat of arms of the Republic of Kenya. 

The page further seeks to whey the visitors through a site marquee that stresses “The Presidential Youth Empowerment Funds for all citizens…”

A timer is also included on the website to state till when the offer will remain available.

The page then flows on to a simple HTML form.

The form starts off with some brief statements about the scheme. The form has spaces for full name, Country, Home Address, Phone Number, and Email Address before being presented with a button labelled “proceed” that once clicked ushers page 2 of the form presents Congratulatory messages stating that application has been received and to acquire the funds immediately one is asked to answer three questions that are on a carousel. Once all three questions are answered. A new page loads bearing messages like “after receiving and checking your application, you have been approved to receive the Presidential Youth Empowerment Funds for Free.

A precondition to receive the funds is then added stating that the money will be available immediately a button labelled “invite friends/groups” is clicked so as to share a replica of the same message at the very base of this fact check report to other WhatsApp users and groups. The precondition further dictates that the sharing be done till a blue bar on the site is full.

Analysis and Findings:

Red Flag 1: The first website’s first landing page displays flags and coats of arm of different African Countries in a manner lacking any officiality.

Red Flag 2: Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme is not registered as a valid  youth empowerment scheme anywhere in Africa but on the contrary Nigeria recently launched Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) whose official logo exists on the fake site’s landing page.

Red Flag 3: The currency to be given out is Nigerian Naira, unsuitable for transactions among countries with different currencies and economies

Red Flag 4: The site borrows heavily the names, flags and logos from Official Nigerian establishments.

Red Flag 5: Without filling the form, #211Check was able to go to page 2 where the following questions were asked:

1. What is your employment Status?

2. What is your Marital status?

3. Choose age range?”

Red Flag 6: A false comments section accompanying page 2 bearing forged Facebook comments with alleged beneficiaries writing good reviews about the grant scheme. 

Red Flag 7: After answering the 3 questions on page 2, you are immediately notified that your application was successful.

Red Flag 8: You are required to mass resend a version of the WhatsApp message that likely brought you to the site in the first place, in order to receive your cash grant.

Analysis:

Analysing the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme website using the tool hosted at https://whois.domaintools.com showed that the website was registered and hosted on 13th July 2021

The domain was registered in the US and the current IP location is New Jersey, US.

The IP history shows that within the last 97 days the IP address has been changed four times.

A look at the source code to the website indicates the form on the site has no capabilities to submit any data entered into it and thus just there to create an environment that mimics the real thing. Developer tools on Microsoft Edge were used to analyse this.

Conclusion:

False, the website is fraudulent and its whole purpose is spam, mostly spamming WhatsApp platforms. 

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has an initiative named Presidential Youth Entrepreneurship Support (P-YES) and the application dates for 2021 have not yet been announced. Their official site is hosted at www.p-yes.gov.ng 

SEC-2020-Results-Flourish211 Check

DATA STORY: 870 fail 2020/21 Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations in South Sudan

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By 211 Check Editorial Team

Only 870 candidates out of 33,255 failed the 2020/21 Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations. The results were announced last Friday by Awut Deng Acuil, the Minister of General Education and Instruction who also serves as the chair of the National Examinations Council.
The examination had the highest number of candidates since the country’s independence in 2011. According to the National Examinations Council, 32,385 of the 33,255 candidates who took the exams passed, representing 97.4 percent.

There were 21,917 male candidates, 21,331 of whom passed, 11,338 female candidates, and 11,054 passed.

Eastern Equatoria State had the highest performance index of 79.96 percent, while Upper Nile had the lowest at 67.91 percent.

Christian Religious Education performed best, with a mean score of 91.1 percent and a performance index of 89.3 percent, while French Language and Computer Science performed poorly, with 0.1 percent performance indexes.

Results Visualization
SEC-2020-Results-Flourish
Chart Showing the Number of Candidates from 2015 – 2020
Chart Showing the Number of Candidates for the CSE 2020/21 per Gender
Chart Showing Students in Academics, Commercial and Technical Section Per Gender
Performance Index by State

Social Media Impersonation Poster211 Check

EXPLAINER: All You Need to Know About “Social Media Impersonation”

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As technology continues to become a part of our day-to-day life, social media impersonation attempts by malicious actors are also far from coming to a halt but rather becoming more sophisticated in nature.

By Vukeni Innocent Joseph 

When we think about impersonation, the first thing that comes to mind is an act of deception. Impersonation schemes have become more common and deadly in South Sudan in recent months.

Impersonation scams are acts of manipulation carried out by cyber criminals or threat actors in order to achieve their goals, which may include cyber bullying, harassment, financial gain, or a need for personal or confidential information from the target, by duping them into believing the scammer is genuine or someone they know.

Due to a large online presence, which is further a result of the embracement of technology, the most common type of impersonation occurs on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, and even through emails. As a result, impersonators have more freedom to carry out their actions.

Threat actors impersonate a trustworthy entity or individual on social media to entice their victims. This is accomplished by a technique known as social engineering, in which the fraudster poses as someone else in order to deceive the victim.

Impersonators come across as intelligent actors in their actions simply because they thoroughly investigate their targets on social media to gain vital information about them, such as hobbies, mutual friends, and favorite hangouts. Surprisingly, all of this information is readily available through the posts we make on our social media accounts in the form of images, status updates, and unfettered biographic information, which scammers exploit for nefarious purposes.

An impersonator searching for your Facebook profile and reading through it for information that would be of interest to them, which they can use to carry out impersonation, is a common example. The impostor could carry out their fraud in two ways utilizing the information they collect from your page: setting up as a new Facebook user with the victim’s identity and uploads (profile and cover photographs), and then using this phony page to entice your friends, coworkers, or family members. Alternatively, the impostor could create an account in your name and deceive you by imitating a friend, coworker, or family member.

As technology continues to become a part of our day-to-day life, social media impersonation attempts by malicious actors are also far from coming to a halt but rather becoming more sophisticated in nature. 

However, we can mitigate this cyber crime or malicious act by following and adhering to some basic best practices while on the internet, and these include;

● Being cautious of the information we post on social media or limiting the information we avail on our accounts for example, our phone numbers, date of birth and address where we reside, as they may contain too many details which a scammer could use to their advantage.

● Do not use the same login credentials on two or more social media accounts. This would mean that if your login credentials get to be known, a cyber criminal could take your social media accounts hence denying you access. It is also good practise to use password managers to manage your login credentials for multiple accounts online.

● Do not click random suspicious links sent on social media and be keen to know the source of the link, as this could also be an entry point for malware such as spyware or viruses on your phones or computers

● Verify the genuineness of social media accounts that may want to engage with you, making sure that the source of any kind of communication or advert is known to you.

● Endeavor to report cases of impersonation to SafetyComm South Sudan which will aid in verification of false accounts and also have those accounts taken down from the internet. 

September 2021 South Sudan Social Media Health Report

September 2021 South Sudan Social Media Health Report

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A 211 Check, Defy Hate Now South Sudan Report

Introduction

The monitoring for this social media health report took place from September 1, 2021, to September 30, 2021.

This month’s monitoring includes a comprehensive study of social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp using CrowdTangle, Vicinitas, and Better TweetDeck platforms.

The report’s content is based on how viral it is and how many people interact with it. This report also studies disinformation and/ or misinformation campaigns, online hate speech and incitement to violence, coordinated behaviour and/or influence operations.

Key issues of the month

  1. Omah Lay’s Show in Juba

A picture shared by SSDGuna.com, an online blog with the caption “Check out how Omah lay moved the audience at freedom hall..juba south sudan..” on Sunday, 5th September had over 4,000 interactions, 297 comments and 27 shares.

But, infact, the photo was not of his show in Juba, Freedom Hall. The photo shared by SSDGuna.com was when Omah Lay performed in Kampala, Uganda in 2021.

Many comments on the post disapproved of the post as being taken in South Sudan. “This is Uganda, the day he was arrested for breaking COVID-19 rules,” reads a comment on the post. “Nonsense. How can you copyright photos from Uganda claiming it was taken here. That’s why we don’t trust ourselves,” reads another comment.

Screenshot of SSDGuna.com Post about Omah Lay’s Post
  1. Speech by Student Representative at a graduation in Egypt

A video shared by South Sudan Media, a Facebook Page in which a South Sudanese Student Representative spoke during their graduation in Egypt got over 51,200 views, 3,000 interactions, 112 comments and 129 shares.

In the comment section, congratulatory messages were shared to all graduates. “Thousand million congratulations. God bless you all,” reads a comment.

Screenshot of a video post by South Sudan Media
  1. Viral Photos of Gau Gau Garang, a teacher in Aweil North County, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State

Photos of a teacher with disability, in Aweil North County, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State shared by SSDTV and other online media platforms went viral from 4th September through 6th September. Gau Gau Garang could be seen in pictures teaching primary school children under a tree. Many commentators described his contribution as the true meaning of “disability is not inability”

The online campaign offered him recognition by the state ministry of education and philanthropists.

Screenshot of a viral post by SSD TV about Tr. Gau Gau in Aweil
  1. Juba City Mayor raids witchcraft home in Gudele Block 9, warns against the practice

A raid by Kalisto Lado, the mayor for Juba City Council in what has been termed as a “den” of witches in the Gudele suburb was a talk of Social Media on Sunday, 5th September 2021 – During a inspection visit, the mayor and his team surprisingly visited “witch house” where they found photos of people who have allegedly been bewitched.

The photos first posted by the mayor’s official spokesperson and re-shared by Talk of Juba got over 488 interactions, 316 comments and 540 shares. Several social media users on Facebook and Twitter made memes. The women arrested later appeared in court.

There were mixed views in the comments section. Though others praised the mayor, others did not like the idea – because according to them, witchcraft might be the source of livelihood for those whose shrine was raided.

A Talk of Juba post about Juba City Mayor Kalisto Lado storming a shrine
  1. Vice President for Gender, Youth and Humanitarian Cluster lauds National Basketball team

The Vice President for Gender, Youth and Humanitarian Cluster, Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior lauded the South Sudan National Basketball team for their outstanding performance in Rwanda. 

She said she was very proud of the work of the team in their debut at the Afro Basketball 2021 and emerging 5th.

A Video shared by Twic Media Reports got over 16,800 views, 1,000 interactions, 100 comments and 93 shares. Commentators thanked her for acknowledging the great work of the Basketball team and its leadership. However, They called on the government to support the team financially.

Screenshot of Twic Media Reports Video of Vice President Nyandeng
  1. Adut Akech buys first house in America

The story of Adut Akech buying her first house in America at the age of 21 which she shared on Instagram on Saturday, 4th September got over 394,630 interactions, 10,316 comments and several shares on Facebook.  

She captioned it “I DID IT, I BOUGHT MY FIRST HOUSE in America!!!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I’m usually quiet about personal things like this, I just be moving in silence but this one is TOO big of an achievement and proud moment for me to not share with the world. I cannot believe that at 21 years old I’m a proud owner of 5 HOUSES!!! 🤯 I sit back reflect on my life and the things I have achieved within my career and personal life…. and damn I’m so bloody PROUD of myself for staying focused and working…”

Most comments were congulatory on her milestone, especially at a tender age.

Adut Akech Celebrates her new home in an instagram post
  1. A touching message of an orphan girl child at Stone International Church asking for support from philanthropists and requesting the President for help because they are the future of this nation.

The video was shared by Dynamq, a South Sudanese singer with the caption, “When I wrote the song “Eyal Del” it was her story. Dynamq & The Voices of South Sudan | Eyal Del”

The video got a total of 102,400 views, 5,000 interactions, 470 comments and 861 shares. Several commentators expressed solidarity with the little child in the video. 

  1. South Sudan earns respect after AfroBasketball 2021

On September 13th 2021, the President of the South Sudan Basketball Federation, Luol Deng said South Sudan has now earned respect following their performance at the Afro Basketball 2021 in Kigali, Uganda. According to him, many teams now needed their players. The post by City Review got 306 interactions, 31 comments and 11 shares. 

Commentators poured congratulatory messages as well as appreciation to Lual Deng, the Federation’s president.

  1. South Sudan receives 152,950 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines donation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A message shared by the US Embassy in Juba, South Sudan said the vaccines were of the United States Government’s efforts in fighting COVID-19.

The post had over 2,000 interactions, 128 comments and 38 reactions.Most comments were expressing gratitude for the support extended by the US government.

Arrival of Johnson and Johnson Vaccines to South Sudan
  1. Meet Kiden, a model with hearing defects representing South Sudan in Tanzania

Josephine Kiden is a 24-year-old model born in Juba with hearing defects. As the world marks the International week of Deaf People, South Sudan celebrates Kiden for qualifying to represent her country in the upcoming Miss and Mr. Deaf Africa 2021 beauty contest in Tanzania.

It has always been Kiden’s dream to prove to the world that deaf people are as talented as people without disabilities. Now is the perfect opportunity, she says. While growing up, children in school and in Kiden’s neighborhood would mock her, name-calling her “Atarasa,” an Arabic word for a deaf person. A word she detests bitterly.

Josephine Kiden to Represent South Sudan in Miss Deaf Africa
  1. Twitter Engagement

In the last 10 days of September, 647 Twitter users in South Sudan made over 1,900 tweets with 7,000 engagements and had an influence of 6.1 million on Twitter as seen in the following image.

Twitter Word Cloud for #SSOT and #SouthSudan in the last 10 days of September

The most used hashtag is the #SSOT which stands for South Sudanese on Twitter followed by #SouthSudan. The #SSOT was used over 1,900 times whereas the #SouthSudan was used over 527 times

Most Used Hashtags in South Sudan Twitter

Most South Sudanese on Twitter retweet posts accounting for 67.4% and the most used media in these posts are photos with 87.7% followed by videos with 11.4%

Pie charts showing Types of Posts and Rich Media by South Sudanese on Twitter

Social Media Analysis:

The first week of the month had discussions revolving around Omah Lay’s show in Juba – a show that was sponsored by Lucky Charm, a music manager. This shows that the music industry continues to be of public interest on South Sudan’s social media space.

Another discussion in the same week was around the disabled teacher in Aweil Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal. The messages shared by commentators show that South Sudanese online are appreciative of the role played by persons with disabilities in the country. There are some digital natives who came forward to assist the teacher who subsequently received recognition for his state education ministry.

A crackdown by the Juba City Mayor on witchcraft and wizardry caught attention – nonetheless, in later stages of the discussion, men were throwing blames on women as person who are so much into the practice of witchcraft – these stereotypes did not go well with most women who answered back and there were unhealthy debates and counter blames.

Progress made by the national basketball team at the Afro Basketball in Kigali, Rwanda was in the middle of the month among the top discussed topics – this was supplemented by the remarks of the Vice President for Youth and Gender Cluster who lauded the excellent work of the club – and assured of government’s support to further develop the sport. – most commentators called on the government to support sports so it can go to the international level.

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 social media monitoring technologies, discourse, and content analysis, this report examines the online behavior of South Sudanese social media users. Hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation efforts, also known as Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour (CIB), have all decreased in the last few weeks, according to this month’s monitoring. Not just the postings, but also the comment sections, have been largely positive.

Furthermore, the speeches given by government representatives are neither violently inflammatory nor misleading. The words they choose and the way they deliver them to the public are carefully chosen.

Furthermore, the report found that social media users are open and courteous in their interactions.

As a result, according to the research, total social media involvement is fairly healthy. There hasn’t been anything in the way of hate speech or demands for violence. As a result, powerful activists and government leaders should avoid spreading conspiracies and sending conflict-sensitive messages.

Covid-19 worsens the already distressed state of ‘Persons with Disability’ in South Sudan

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By Woja Emmanuel Wani and Viola Elias – AFF Cohort 3 fellows

South Sudan like other countries is battling to contain the spread of Covid-19 since the world youngest nation registered its first coronavirus case on April 5 2019 through a foreign national that travelled from the Netherlands via Ethiopia capital Addiss-Ababa and later to Juba.

For a country with 12 million people and with the poorest health infrastructure according to UN health reports, the situation of people living with disabilities could be way far devastating. 

According to the South Sudan Union of People with Disabilities, close to 11% of the population of South Sudan are probably or in fact affected by disabilities, representing over one million PwDs. Within camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) alone, it is estimated that there are up to 250,000 PwDs.

According to members of civil society, since Covid-19 emergence, the status quo of PWDs has changed drastically, ranging from their socialization, rights, freedoms, among others. Many activists say the disease increased fear, stigmatization and has worsened the health conditions of people with disability. 

A 2013 UN report stated that out of the 15% of PWDs in South Sudan, 5.8% need to be provided with services. But this has not been the case for Sarah Andrua – a physically impaired orphan who lost both parents in early 2000s when she was 1.

The 20 year old University of Juba student says she finds it difficult to transport herself from home to school due to lack of mobility. 

“Before I came to Juba to live with my uncle, I had spent most of my childhood at the orphanage home in Nimule. Growing without my parents and with parental love was not something easy at all. At some point in my life, I moved from one relative’s house to another”

Sarah narrated her ideal to 211 Check. 

Sarah stressed that as a person with physical disability, she endured stigma from her own family and community members.

“We people with physical disabilities have our own challenges which include rejection by our families and communities but when covid-19 came, it became more difficult for us. As for my case, transportation has been my main challenge to extend I at some point, I was about to quit my studies. Imagine, I commute from Gudele Jebel Yausu residential area everyday to the campus in Hai Soura”

Sarah added.

The Bachelor Degree ‘Community Studies’ student added that she almost quit due to financial constraints caused by Covid-19.  

‘I wanted to quit my studies so that I could just stay home, but I then initiated a talk with the former manager of the orphanage center, who later encouraged me. He also continues to aid me with finances, so I can further my education. As we speak”

Sarah revealed.

Andrua who appeals for mobility assistance went on to encourage people with disability to never give up during hard pandemic season. 

Constitution on disability 

The World Health Organization in a 2013 report stated that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are approximately estimated to be 15% of the Population across South Sudan, with most disabilities acquired during the liberation period. 

The right to education for all citizens of South Sudan, regardless of disability or gender, is enshrined in article 29 of the Transitional Constitution. However PWDs have not been able to realise this human right, according to South Sudanese civil society activists. 

Despite the “Education for All” campaigns, access to education by PWDs is still limited in South Sudan and particularly children with disabilities are the most disadvantaged. 

Misinformation Vs Disability

According to health experts, COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges to safety and security worldwide but most adversely on persons with disabilities.

In Juba, these challenges have been registered on the basis of Covid-19 information dissemination to the communities carried out by numerous national and international organizations, UN agencies and health authorities.

Distributing accurate and timely messages and countering the spread of misinformation is critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic but this has not been the case with the visually impaired persons in South Sudan, according to Mr. Ambrose Lobijo.

The 46 year old Gudele resident who is a virtually impaired stressed that his environment has been and continues to be flooded with Covid-19 misinformation and fake news. 

The father of three states that Covid-19 myths have even made him deny coronavirus vaccination, stressing that he was advised by his family members to never take the jab because it might worsen his already existing illness.

“For the last three years, I have been suffering from a disease that makes me fall down at least once or twice a month. My family thinks if I take the jab, it will affect my well-being further”

said Ambrose

But the World Health Organization (WHO) says people with underlying conditions such as cancer, asthma, and heart disease, among others can also be vaccinated.

However, Ambrose says his health complication has been examined severally but doctors failed to identify what exactly contributes to his unpredicted collapse occurrence that often happen.

“At first, I wanted to be vaccinated but my brother told me he heard on the radio that the vaccine is not for people who have mental problems. I consider myself mentally ill because sometimes fall on the road, in the markets or even in public taxi”

Ambrose added

When contacted for comment on the vaccine myths, Dr. John Romunu – Director for Preventive Health Services at the Ministry of Health disputes the claims, adding that the vaccine does not have any negative impact on the mental health of a person.

Dr. John, instead said only persons with internal heath disorders such as respiratory infections are advised to be examined before taking the jab.

“There has never been medical proof that people suffering from internal mental disabilities shouldn’t take the jabs. The instructions from WHO are clear, only persons with respiratory conditions may be the ones at risk if they get vaccinated. My message to people is that, any information out there regarding the vaccine without scientific defense is a lie and should be considered fake”

Said Romunu

Disability is a complex, diverse, and growing global concern. Doctors believe every person with a disability has unique features and requirements in their lives.

Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reinforces the right of PwDs to achieve the highest possible standard of health and well-being without any form of discrimination based on disabilities.

The convention states that PwDs’ needs should not be ignored during an emergency lockdown – a provision which entitles them to safe and accessible formats for information on COVID-19, including the use of sign languages.

The convention also advocates for creation of an enabling environment for caregivers/peers/community members who can assist disabled persons by providing essential services.

It also calls for promotion of awareness and sensitization to health-care providers to provide equal opportunities, maintaining dignity and respect whenever a person with disability requires care in hospital.  

End..

AUGUST REPORT: Politics, Sports and Cultural dabates rocked S. Sudan’s social media landscape

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Author: Bida Emmanuel 

Introduction

This social media health report is based on data collected during working days from August 1st to August 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 netizens and foreign nationals related to South Sudanese regardless of being situated within the country or abroad – a study also signifies South Sudan’s digital and social media landscape and growth. 

This month’s monitoring comprises an overall assessment of top Facebook pages’ social media posts using CrowdTangle’s platform 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 August reporting period, a total of 129 out of 198 pages published posts, totaling to 7,480 posts with an average of 2.07 posts per day. 

In comparison with July’s report total number of interactions, August’s number of interactions went down -11.09 percent. 

Findings: Key issues of the month 

  1. The killing of Catholic Nuns in the road ambush along the Juba Nimule Highway

An attack along South Sudan’s major road connecting the country to the East African Region left five people killed. The fateful ambush that occurred on 16th of August led to the killing of two Catholic reverend sisters. 

Though three suspects linked to the attack were apprehended, the occurrence left various social media platforms talking. A Facebook issue by an online media house – Talk of Juba had over 1,400 reactions, 2,600 comments and 61 shares.

Several comments extended condolence messages and sympathies for the loss of lives that occured. However, some people were wondering if South Sudan shall ever have true peace. Most comments did not have hate speech or misinformation components.

  1. Wrestling Spectators in Sherikat standing on motorbikes

Twic Media Report – an online/unregulated media house on Aug 18, 2021posted a picture captioned “Wrestling Spectators in Sharikat when they were watching Gongic being thrown down” drew audience attention with over 3,000 reactions, 73 comments and 19 shares. Gonic, mostly known as a PhD wrestling graduate, is a Jonglei State naitive. 

The comments expressed surprise but also cautioned the spectators watching the match while standing on their motorbikes from falling.

 “Good brothers and great, but problem is there when you fall down,” reads a comment from one online user, while another commenter said “U should have to mind about your life brothers. What if you fall down from there? Who will you blame?”.

  1. South Sudanese-American middle-distance runner wins a gold medal, breaking a national record by Ajee Wilson set in 2017 in the Olympics games

On 11 August, Athing Mu – a 19 year old South Sudanese American middle distance runner broke a record at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. She won a gold medal in the 800 meters, breaking a national record set by Ajee Wilson in 2017.

The Facebook post by Radio Tamazuj floated with mob congratulatory messages got over 1,000 reactions – 155 comments and 42 shares making it the most viral post that day.   

Shockingly, some people were wondering why the medal Athing won for America is being associated with South Sudan.

“Stop associating South Sudan to America’s success. That is a sad way of consoling us,” reads a comment. “I do not know why people of South Sudan are congratulating Athing Mu who is American,” reads another comment.

  1. Presidential Security Affairs Minister condemns Kitgwang Declaration by a section of the SPLM/A – IO

In a 10th August Facebook Video by the Ministry of ICT and Postal Services, President Kiir Presidential Advisor Tut Gatluak in a press conference condemned a Kitgwang declaration by a breakaway group led by Simon Gatwech Dual and Johnson Olony in Magenis, Upper Nile State.

In the video that had 18,400 views, 776 reactions, 32 comments and 180 shares, Tut talked about the formation of a committee to investigate and address the root causes of the conflict within SPLA-IO.

  1. COVID-19 vaccines acceptance through grassroots engagement

A rapid assessment by the UN children organization in South Sudan indicated that there was an information gap resulting from misinformation and disinformation linked to the coronavirus vaccine. 

UNICEF said the Integrated Community Mobilization Network quickly helped to increase the daily vaccination coverage by the sixth day from 20 people to 200 per day in Warrap State.

In the comment session of the Facebook post, the public raised concerns about getting their second jab due to vaccine shortage and also questioned why the picture of the people who lined up for vaccination were not adhering to Covid-19 preventive measures.  

“Social distancing was not maintained. Where are the Standard Operating Procedures? Asks a commentator. Another wondered why, “vaccination was good when social distancing was not there?”.  

  1. Demonstration on 30th August 2021

Another hot trending topic discussed on social media in the last weeks of August was the peaceful strike due to poor governance in South Sudan, organized by a pressure group; the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA). 

It made people create memes such as the above picture shared by Juba Eye on Sunday, 29th August captioned, “this photo was taken tomorrow in Juba town”.

The post had over 3,000 reactions, 746 comments and 133 shares, though some people were concentrating on what they term as grammatical error, the meme was depicting the likelihood of protestors being hunted by organised forces should they stage a demonstration. 

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 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….