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…. 

192 people killed in South Sudan’s continuous gun violence – Data Report

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By 211 Check Editorial Team

A data report released by 211 Check articulates that at least 192 persons across the country died in August alone due to incidents related to gun-violence.

The report is based on death tales generated from reports issued by prominent media houses, such as Radio Tamazuj, Eye Radio, and Radio Miraya.

In comparison to July’s gun-violence report where 63 people were killed, the August killings represent a 67.19 percent rise.

The majority of the deaths from violence happened in Western Equatoria State, where 57 people died, mostly as a result of confrontations in Tambura County which made the State to lead the count.

Upper Nile State ranks second with 36 deaths – majority of which occurred during the Magenis conflict following the Kitgwang Declaration – an event where the main opposition group experienced a breakaway faction opposing South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr Riek Machar.

Warrap State occupied the third position with 31 cases mostly linked to cattle raids, while road ambushes and inter-communal clashes between some Mundari Community resulted into killing 18 people in Central Equatoria State.

Eastern Equatoria and Unity States recorded 13 and 18 cases respectively. On the other hand, a total of fifteen people people died in Jonglei, Lakes, and Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal States with each State recording 5 death cases each.

Lastly, four personnel perished in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State. Surprisingly, there were no documented occasions of gun violence deaths in any of the three administrative areas of Abyei, Ruweng, or Greater Pibor.

NOTE: This data doesn’t fully bear the actual or complete number of killings across the country, it only bears data reported by the two prominent media houses [Radio Tamazuj, Eye Radio, and Radio Miraya]. There might be several other deaths recorded by various media houses or those not even reported.

Below is a bar chart bearing the statistics of deaths recorded.

Uganda media runs a false story, claims the recent Juba-Nimule Highway attack left 2 foreign nuns killed

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Author: 211 Check editorial team

211 Check investigative findings have revealed that a prominent Uganda news outlet ran a misleading story, claiming the Monday attack along South Sudan’s major highway left two Ugandan reverends sisters killed. 

According to a story published by renowned Daily Monitor on Tuesday, August 17, which was also published by Ugandan Catholics Online, at least two Ugandan nuns were killed in the road ambush attack on Juba-Nimule on Monday this week.

Daily monitor identified the deceased sisters as Sr. Mary Aboud and a Sr Regina – identifications that are accurate as per our findings. 

The media went on to claim that the two reverend sisters were Ugandan nationals – a report 211 Check identified as false. 

Facts about the late nuns

Fact no1: According to continental Association for Catholic Information in Africa (ACIA), two Catholic nuns were among the five nationals killed in the Monday road. ACIA identified them as South Sudanese Catholic citizens, not Ugandan nationals as claimed by the Daily Monitor. 

Fact no2: South Sudan’s Superior General of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Secretary General of the Juba Archdiocese confirmed the deaths of Sr. Mary Daniel Abut and Sr. Regina Roba. The two authorities did not identify the late nuns as Ugandans.

Fact no3: The Independent Catholic News (ICN) mentioned that the murdered nuns were South Sudanese. 

Fact no4: As per South Sudan’s National Police Spokesperson – Gen. Daniel Justine, two nuns killed during the attack are South Sudanese, not Ugandans.

“It is not true that the two sisters who were killed were Ugandans. They are South Sudanese, according to the Catholic Church. So any other story is false,” said police Daniel told 211 Check on Tuesday.

Conclusion: The four facts can easily state that the deceased nuns were South Sudanese nationals, not Ugandans as stated by Daily Monitor. 

Fact matters, to know about our fact-checking process, check the link below, https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or contact us via 211check.org to present a claim – our team will immediately fact-check it and send you an immediate feedback.

S. Sudan has 40m herds of cattle, Youth Minister makes a misleading statement

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Author: 211 Check editorial team

Does South Sudan have 40 million herds of cattle? No.

211 Check investigations have discovered that South Sudan doesn’t have forty billion herds of cattle as stated by the youth minister. 

Speaking at an event to mark the International Youth Day at the Scenius Hub in Juba on Thursday, the Minister of Youth and Sports – Albino Bol claimed the country has forty million herds of cattle.

“We are only a population of 13 to 13 and half million people. Compare this to the number of animal resources, cows we have. We have forty million herds of cattle and these are the source of the problem instead of prosperity in South Sudan” said Bol at the occasion marked under the theme “Youth Innovation for a resilient South Sudan”.

But according to our findings, the above mentioned data is purely a false and misleading statement. 

In May this year, government’s Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters after a council of ministers meeting that South Sudan has a total of 11.7 million cattle, 12.1 million sheep, 12.4 million goats and 5 million chickens.

Makuei said the statistics were provided by Onyoti Adigo, the Minister for animal resources and fisheries.

According to a Food and Agriculture Administration (FAO) report released on 28th August 2018, South Sudan’s livestock population is estimated at 12 million cattle, 20 million sheep and 25 million goats, making it a world leader in terms of animal wealth per capita as per the National Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Industry.

In July this 2021, South Sudan counted an estimated 12 million cattle, 12.1 million sheep and 12.4 million goats, making the country one of the world leaders in animal wealth per capita.

Conclusion:

Minister Albino Bol’s claim that South Sudan has forty million is false and misleading, because the nation has only eleven million and seven hundred thousand cattle, according to data released by the Ministry for animal resources and fisheries in May 2021. 

Beware of CLAIMS AND FALSE STATEMENTS made by politicians, for they can make you a victim or an agent of mis/disinformation.

To know about our fact-checking process, click the link below, https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or contact us via 211check.org to present a claim, our team will immediately fact-check it and send you an immediate feedback.

211 Check Editorial Policy – a document that guides our work

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Core values

 1. Commitment to non-partisanship and non-political affiliation

We fact-check claims using the same standard for every fact check, that is applicable to any story from various fields and works of life. In order to have a productive impact on creating content, we do not concentrate our fact-checking on one specific thematic area. We follow the same process for every fact check and rely on the evidence to tell our findings. On an important note, 211 Check does not advocate (for) or take policy positions on the issues we fact-check.

2. Commitment to fairness

Our work focuses on having all sides of the story presented in the report. We don’t take sides or allow our bias to control or jeopardize the integrity of our findings. Our stories are well balanced, critical and evidence oriented. 

3. Commitment to the transparency of sources

As South Sudan’s leading fact-checking organization, we make sure our readers are able to verify our investigations themselves. We provide all sources in enough detail so that readers can replicate our work, except in cases where a source’s personal security could be compromised. In such cases, we provide as much detail as possible while keeping the source anonymous. However, other non-threatening details about the source are kept in the story to ensure that it is still believable. 

4. Commitment to the transparency of funding and organization

211 Check is transparent about its funding sources. If we accept funding from other organizations, we ensure that those funders have no influence over the conclusions we reach in our reports. We detail the professional background of all key figures in our organization and explain our organizational structure and legal status. We clearly indicate a way for readers to communicate with us without blockages or difficulties. 

5. Commitment to the transparency of fact-checking methodology

We explain the methodology we use to select, research, write, edit, publish and correct our fact checks. We encourage readers to send us claims to fact-check through our website and social media platforms and we are transparent on why and how we fact-check.

6. Commitment to open and honest correction

We publish our corrections publicly and follow them scrupulously. We correct clearly and transparently in line with our corrections policy, seeking so far as possible to ensure that readers see the corrected version. 

Corrections policy

Our correction policy is a document that informs and governs staff behaviour, sets clear expectations, and confirms that the administration has performed its role. It is also the basis for staff supervision, training, and supporting a defense in case of a negative outcome.

We welcome and value both positive and negative feedback from our audience. In the unlikely event that an error is discovered, we are open and responsive to corrections and inputs that would improve our work for the better.

Please send feedback, corrections or complaints to [email protected].

Help us know exactly what your concerns are by making your comments as clear as possible. Where possible, please include any links to reference material or data that is publicly accessible.  

Correction process

Feedback can be submitted in the comment section under an article or in an email to [email protected]. These channels are checked daily.

Every comment and all feedback is reviewed by a senior member of staff.

We’ll let you know as soon as we have considered your feedback or comment as well as whether we will be making a change in our article in response to it. If we do decide to make a change, it will be highlighted in the article.

  • In the case of a factual error, a note will be added to the report and labelled “CORRECTION”, with an explanation of what has been changed.
  • In the case of clarifications or updates, a note will be added and labelled “UPDATE”, with an explanation of what has been changed.

How we rate claims

211 Check fact-checking and information verification platform is managed and run by #defyhatenow South Sudan, an NGO registered in South Sudan with a registration number 2285. 

Our values set out how we operate as a fact-checking entity, how we select claims [statements or stories] to check and the way we conduct our research.

Below we elucidate the ratings we give once we have conducted that research: how we decide the ratings, what they mean and how you can check our findings.  

Deciding our ratings

When our fact-checkers complete their investigations, three staff members–the report fact-checker and two editors [Associate and Managing Editors] – deliberate on the suitable rating for the claim. In case they do not all agree, they take a vote. 

We choose each rating to give readers the clearest understanding of the accuracy of the statement we can – according to the best evidence publicly available at that particular time.

Below are the five key principles behind our ratings.

True

The claim is accurate, according to the best evidence publicly available at the time, and leaves out nothing significant. 

False

The claim is inaccurate according to the best evidence publicly available at the time.

Unproven

Evidence publicly available at the  time neither proves or disproves the statement. More research is needed.

Misleading 

Elements of the claim are accurate but presented in a way that is misleading.

Exaggerated

The claim exaggerates the facts.

Understated

The claim understates the facts.

Checked

Multiple claims have been fact-checked.

Hoax

A falsehood deliberately fabricated to masquerade as the truth, humorous or malicious deception. 

Core principles

1. We rate statements of fact

211 Check does not rate the accuracy of ideas, opinions, philosophies or arguments. We rate the accuracy of what people say and present as statements of fact. We focus on both the precise words they use and the context of the statement. 

2. A focus on what is significant

When we rate the accuracy of statements, we do not set out to identify tiny inconsistencies. Precision is important but we are not interested in numbers down to three decimal places unless that matters for a reason.

4. The best evidence publicly available – at the time

Almost all data, the whole world over, is something of an estimate. Across Africa, the quality of data varies, not just from country to country but from subject to subject. To rate claims, we rely on the best evidence publicly available at the time the claim is made. This ranges from clearly sourced data and statistics to on-the-record interviews. We do not use off-the-record briefings or evidence unavailable to the public.

5. Mistakes and updating when new or better evidence appears

With our mandate that guides us to always produce final accurate reports, we work hard to make our research findings accurate, according to the best evidence available at the time. When there is something we miss, let us know and we will review the report. If the report needs a correction or update, we will do that and direct readers to the change. 

July 2021 Social Media Health Report

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A report compiled by 211 Check

Introduction

During this reporting period, a total of 127 out 197 pages being monitored published nearly 15,000 posts at an average of 4.66 posts per day. 

The interactions were way up by +48.28% compared to the previous month. Most of the interactions were around President Kiir’s interview with Kenya’s Citizen TV Journalist Jeff Koinange and South Sudan’s decade of independence in the early weeks of the month.

Mid-month conversations centred on sports news and music. In relation to sports, much of the conversations were focused on South Sudan’s Junior National Team which had its orientation at South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) General Headquarters. The Under-23 team had their final orientation, followed by a theoretical session as they competed in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Championship. 

In relation to music, some Facebook users were talking about South Sudanese musicians John Frog and Coozos Clan’s Meenimen, who were flaunting US Dollars and Euros on their respective Facebook pages.

Later conversations towards the end of the month were around the death of Hardlife Avenue’s artist Mantani who passed on in Kampala, Uganda following a motorcycle accident. A few other conversations were around the appointment of Jemma Nunu Kumba as the first woman speaker of the Revitalised Transitional National Legislative Assembly.

The leading Facebook pages with many interactions during the month were: Silver X, Atongoya, K-Denk, Eye Radio, Achai Wiir, Hot in Juba, Penton Keah, Lady Kola Official, Smart Family TV and Slate Nation.

The Social media landscape was widely unhealthy with notable cases of hate speech as reflected below.  

Key Issues Discussed

A video of President Kiir’s interview with Kenyan Journalist Jeff Koinange reshared by SSD TV got over 3,000 interactions, 240 comments and 1,000 shares. Mixed views were expressed in the comment section. While many commentators described their frustrations and dissatisfaction over how the President answered the questions.

South Sudanese journalists also went to social media to talk about how they have never had an opportunity to interact with the President in a formal interview. Although the post was mostly dominated by disgruntled South Sudanese, it was interesting to note that it was devoid of hate speech, misinformation and inciting comments. 

The above post by Data Gordon which seems to have been sponsored also attracted over 750 interactions, 95 comments and nearly 10 shares. It was encouraging the culture of condom use as a family planning method. Most of the comments lauded the information sharing while others placed inquiries for more information. No instances of hate speech or inciting remarks in the comments were observed.

A video shared by the America Embassy in Juba Facebook Page got over 23,000 views, 880 interactions, 80 comments and 150 shares. The video showed the embassy’s staff sharing independence messages with South Sudan’s Anthem playing in the background. Many comments were those expressing gratitude for the support offered by America to the South Sudan government.

The last hot topic was when the video of Prophet Abraham Chol’s arrest surfaced online. The video, which showed police men picking him from his bedroom in the middle of the night and included an exchange of words between him and them, created a lot of debate on both Facebook and Twitter. Many say his privacy rights were violated. Other conversations mainly revolved around a statement Abraham uttered during the ordeal saying,  “I am a Dinka, not Monydor”. Because of its tribalistic undertones, Abraham’s statement and the post itself generated some hate speech mainly between Equatorians and the Dinka on social media.

The above picture showing some Americans who participated in the Great Run in the early hours of South Sudan’s Independence day also got the attention of the page followers with over 3,000 interactions, 150 comments and 50 shares. Many commentators commended the American people for always standing in solidarity with South Sudan.

This post had several commentators wishing the young stars the best of luck in the competition. 

The appointment of Jemma Nunu Kumba as the first woman speaker of South Sudan’s Legislative Assembly was among the widely discussed topics from 23rd July. While many powered congratulatory messages, some questioned the rationale behind the nomination. “Congratulations Hon. Jemma Nunu Kumba, keep up the good work and the process of the peace implementation’” reads a comment. The post had over 3,000 reactions, 164 comments and 8 shares. 

On 21 July, John Frog posted a photo of him with a lot of United States Dollar notes in Kenya’s Nairobi. The following day, 22 July, Coozos clan’s Meenimen and Madit Acamcrap also pictured themselves allegedly on the same bed with the same money in a Juba hotel.

Many people on social media  condemned the move saying they should not have shown off so much wealth because there are poor people in the country and it would affect their emotions.

Murye Alex alias Mantani, a late South Sudanese music producer, rapper and a member of the Hardlife Avenue Stars, died on Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Kampala, Uganda, after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Uganda’s Moyo District on July 22, 2021. He collided with another rider, who died instantly. Hundreds of mourners have been publishing and sharing comments about his music and updates about ongoing funeral arrangements.

However, in later stages of the conversation around the musician Mantani’s death, South Sudanese took to social media to voice their displeasure with Ugandan singers for failing to show solidarity with South Sudan’s music community. The discussions were very heated with many South Sudanese taking to the comments section of Ugandan artists who extended belated condolence writing comments that constitute hate and xenophobia. Some Ugandans reciprocated.

Conclusion

Online conversations continue to be partly healthy in South Sudan’s online space. Additionally, threats against specific groups have not been common or widely shared. The use of screenshots, images or videos from unknown or unconfirmed sources has also substantially declined. As observed in the  report, factual reporting has largely contributed to the low level of disinformation and misinformation. 

The varying realities being shared on social media continue to expose digital natives to different opinions. The report concludes that the social media engagement during the reporting period was to an extent unhealthy and filled with hateful and inciting content, especially from those who blamed Ugandan and other foreign musicians for not extending early condolence messages in the wake of Mantani’s death.

End

COVID-19: Low vaccine uptake coupled with minimal adherence to preventive measures exposes South Sudan to second virus wave

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As some countries around the globe fight to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 various waves, South Sudan remains vulnerable to more infections from the expected third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, according to health experts.

Recently, the Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of the Delta Covid-19 variant in South Sudan.

As part of the campaign to minimise the virus spread, the ministry says it has so far administered 56, 587 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from both the first and second consignments that the country received from the UK based COVAX facility.  

The health institution, however, stressed that at least 4 percent of the 60,000 AstraZeneca vaccines that the country received from the Covax Facility in April this year were wasted. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), South Sudan is expecting to get its third batch of the vaccine in early August – this is after the second AstraZeneca vaccine consignment expired on July 18. The health ministry recently said it has stopped administering the remainder of the expired AstraZeneca vaccines.

In various interviews with 211 Check last week, health experts revealed that there has been low uptake of the vaccine, attributing the occurrence to expiration concerns, logistical challenges and vaccine misinformation.

The tendency, according to health authorities, constitutes a danger to the population especially, since there has been an upsurge in the cases of the Delta variant across the region.

Dr. John Romunu – Director General for Preventive Health Services at the Ministry of Health encourages South Sudanese to participate collectively in the reduction of the virus spread, in order to mitigate the third wave and new variant.

“The vaccines are the safer preventive measure for Covid-19 but the low number of doses South Sudan receives from the world in terms of donation, coupled with the public reluctance of citizens to take the vaccine creates more danger for the population.

“Humbly, we [Ministry] encourage people to continue following all the recommended Covid-19 preventive measures, to avoid more transmissions of the virus,” said Romunu.

Dr. Romunu went on to appeal to members of the public to adhere to all preventive measures.

Threats associated with the Delta Variant

In Mid-July, South Sudan confirmed its first case of the highly contagious Delta Variant.  

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Delta is the name for the B.1.617.2 Variant, a SARS-CoV-2 mutation that originally surfaced in India.

The first Delta case was identified in December 2020, and the strain spread rapidly, soon becoming the dominant strain of the virus in India and then Great Britain.

As per health experts, the symptoms are similar to those seen with the original coronavirus strain and other variants, including a persistent cough, headache, fever, and sore throat.

The late July confirmation of two more cases of Delta Variants in South Sudan means the country so far has three cases of the new coronavirus variant. 

Dr Joseph Francis Wamala, a senior epidemiologist at the WHO South Sudan office says countries across the world still continue to report an upsurge on Covid-19 related deaths despite massive vaccination actions, which so far have translated to 3.4 billion administered doses globally.

“What is significant for this period is the fact that even after having effective vaccines, we continue to get very high numbers of deaths that continue to be reported among vulnerable groups”. 

Dr. Wamala warns that there are no indications for the pandemic coming to an end, as more cases continue to be reported at the global level.

He added that the global shortage of vaccines poses another serious threat to countries in dire need to vaccinate their most vulnerable populations. 

The UN health expert stressed that the new worry is the effectiveness of the current vaccine which has been reduced by the new variant.

“Some of the gaps that are really worrying include the global shortage of vaccines. Only a quarter of the global population is being vaccinated and most of the vaccinated are in a few high- and upper-income countries.

“And the reason to worry is that the new variant has actually minimised the effectiveness of the vaccines that we have,” Wamala said.

Dr. Wamala encourages governments to do readiness assessments and ensure that they have enough contingency measures such as adequate oxygen in their health facilities.

As of July 30, South Sudan had recorded 11,049 cumulative cases of Covid-19, with 118 deaths and 10, 099 recoveries.

The good news for South Sudan is that according to the Ministry of Health, the COVAX facility is said to have approved 732, 000 AstraZeneca doses for the world’s youngest nation. This development might propel South Sudan’s efforts in its fight against the Coronavirus. 

Author: Woja Emmanuel Wani – AFF Fellow – Cohort 3, edited by Garang Abraham and Eleanor Macheso. 

NOTE: This article was produced as a result of partnership between DefyHateNow and Medaan, with support from Article19. 

END…

The role of misinformation in aiding Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Sudan

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South Sudan recorded its first Covid-19 case on April 5, 2020, through a foreign national that travelled from the Netherlands via the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa, and then later to Juba.

After the announcement of the first case, health authorities and partners who anticipated the virus went to work. The team of united institutions created numerous programs aimed at sensitizing the public, in order to prevent and create responses to the virus.

It has been more than a year and a half since the proclamation was made, and efforts towards societal sensitization continue to shrink due to lack of funding. 

Many of the state’s Covid-19 health facilities have been shut down, as a result of  inadequate donor funding, according to the ministry of health – yet South Sudan, a country with fragile health infrastructure pumps 154,000 barrels of crude oil per day. 

Vaccine Misinformation

In March this year, South Sudan received 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from CoVAX – the global initiative to ensure lower-income countries  have access to vaccines.

However, in May, the country initiated a process to return some of its vaccines after concluding it cannot administer the vaccines before they expire. Kenya immediately expressed interest to have the consignment of 72,000 vaccines. 

On  July 18, South Sudan’s second Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine consignment expired. This was after  56, 587 citizens got the vaccines.

According to the Ministry of Health Vaccination Report, Central Equatoria states led the highest vaccine consumption with 26, 195 South Sudanese vaccinated, Eastern Equatoria State followed with 3,073 immunized, while Jonglei State laid bottom with 1,788 total citizens vaccinated.

“The total number of South Sudanese below 56 years that took the vaccines is 5.72%, while a total of 94.28% personnel that took the jab are above the age 56.

“The total number of vaccines consumed from the first dose is 51,907, while 4,680 doses were consumed in the second dose” reads the report.

Since the vaccine arrival, the health authorities and partners initiated vaccine awareness programs which have largely been through mainstream media usage of Public Service Announcements (PSAs), talk shows, road drives etcetera – in a move to mobilize thousands to get the jab.

But the Health Ministry last month said at least 6,063 doses have been wasted in the 96 facilities of 35 counties, situated in 10 States across the country.

Why the low vaccine turn-up?

Kenyi Noel, a 33 old-year resident of Juba’s Gudele suburb says he has opted to stay without vaccination.

“If I get myself vaccinated and still get re-infected even after being inoculated, what does that mean? Secondly, I don’t need the vaccine because I am fine” said Kenyi. The World Health Organizations says,  “Covid-19 vaccine does not prevent you from getting the virus but prevents the disease from getting into severity because the anti-bodies the vaccine induces are a defense mechanism that fight back and reduce the number of the viruses that may cause more hurt to you and also reduces hospitalizations’’.

Dr. Garang Anthony – acting chairman of South Sudan Doctors’ Union blames Kenyi’s statement on low vaccine information, mixed with misinformation, ‘Majority are afraid of the vaccine because of a lot of misinformation and dis-information”.

“Misinformation related to vaccines is rampant. People have the information but somewhere the information got distorted and they are confused whether they should go for the vaccination or abstain” Garang added.

Meanwhile, Lusuab Memo – Eye Radio veteran journalist who has been covering Covid-19 since its emergence in South Sudan says the continuous rejection of the jab is triggered by vaccine rumors.

“The kind of understanding people have certainly coils from what they hear and whether the information is actually  from experts”.

“Some people created vaccine myths, because they have an underlying kind of attitude toward the general situation of the country like the economic crisis’’ said Memo who runs a weekly radio talk show on Covid-19.

With too much vaccine information being received, especially amongst those with access to the internet and social media – the dividing line between credible information and misinformation has become difficult.

“Malicious information driven by alternative media is also another contributing vaccine myths, especially done by individuals who sit in their houses and write to catch the attention of the person or want to sell their platforms’’ Memo added.

However, even with the rampant spread of  vaccine misinformation, some people are still willing to get vaccinated. For instance, Juba’s Hai Mouna resident who preferred to be identified as Monica said she will still get the jab regardless of the myths.

“Naiveness towards the vaccine is uncalled for. I am determined to receive my jab as soon as the second bunch arrives” Monica revealed.

Above all, it is due to acknowledge that there has been an increased number of people coming for the jab witnessed by the exhaustion of the first bunch received.

As of July 30, South Sudan has recorded 11,049 cumulative cases of Covid-19, 118 deaths and 10, 099 recoveries.

The World Health Organization has urged South Sudan to ensure at least 10 percent of the population is vaccinated against coronavirus by September 2021.

Author: Dave Boboto – AFF Fellow – Cohort 3, edited by Garang Abraham and Eleanor Macheso. 

NOTE: This article was produced as a result of partnership between DefyHateNow and Medaan, with support from Article19.  

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Gun-violence leaves at least 63 dead across South Sudan in July alone

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Author: Emmanuel Bida

211 Check July investigation has shown a huge decrease of citizens killed as a result of gun-violence across the country in July this year.

A monthly data gathered by 211 Check from reports published by prominent mainstream media houses, such as Radio Miraya, Radio Tamazuj, Eye Radio and Juba Echo, revealed sixty-three [63] deaths triggered by gun-violence.

However, the data shows a huge decrease of 56.85% and 76.68% of killings registered, compared to months of June and May respectively. In May and June, at least 310 and 146 South Sudanese respectively lost their lives in various incidents associated with gun-violence.

In the July data report, Warrap State recorded 15 deaths – the lead state with the highest killings, most of which were related to cattle raiding, while Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, and Unity States followed each with 9, 8, 6, and 6 deaths registered respectively.

Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal and Western Equatoria States all enumerated two [2] violent related deaths each.

On the positive note, no deaths were reported in Abyei Administrative Area, Upper Nile and Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State.

According to observers, the decrease in killing is attributed to improvement of security measures in some areas which were previously experiencing waves of insecurity. However, continuous consistent efforts in strengthening security across the country can reduce the loss of lives due to gun violence.

NOTE: This data doesn’t fully bear the actual or complete number of killings across the country, it only bears data reported by the two prominent media houses [Radio Tamazuj, Eye Radio, Juba Echo and Radio Miraya]. There might be several other deaths recorded by various media houses or those not even reported.

Below is a bar chart bearing the statistics of deaths recorded.

Know your facts!

211 Check is a fact checking and information verification platform established to counter mis/disinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence. To know more about fact checking processes, click: https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/.

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June Social Media Health Report: Music discussions dominated the online space, Culture, Politics, and Sports followed.

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By Emmanuel Bida

Introduction

This June social media health report constitutes findings gathered from South Sudan’s numerous online pages on Facebook. The report bears rates of interactions by South Sudanese online users in the country and abroad as per various areas of interest. 

The discussions observed online in the month of June varied from politics, culture, sports, music and religion among others. This analysis is based on comprehensive day-to-day monitoring of several renowned social media platforms on Facebook as well as additional data obtained from Crowd Tangle Intelligence tool.  

The one-month report bears data of interactions on Facebook, most talked-about topics, reactions of online users to different agendas shared online, as well as social media behaviour, among others. 

Summary of Page Interactions

In South Sudan, 116 of the 191 pages produced 1,718 posts in the first week of June, averaging 2.12 posts per day. These posts drew the attention of nearly 300,000 Facebook users. The overall number of encounters has decreased by 23.69 percent.  118 of the 191 Facebook sites we track published 1,744 posts, averaging 2.11 per day, with almost 260,000 Facebook users engaging with the content. The overall number of interactions decreased by -19.28 percent in the second week of June. In the third week of June, 2,964 posts were published on 120 of 191 pages, for an average of 3.53 posts per day. With approximately 400,000 Facebook interactions, this was the busiest week yet. The percentage gain was 19.52 percent, with page like growth of 0.86 percent. In the last week of June, 1,944 posts were made on the 113 pages we track, averaging 2.46 each day. The number of people who reacted was a little more than 245,000. The overall number of interactions has dropped by 46.12%.

Key issues of the month: 

Key issues of the month as seen below are defined as most topics or events that occurred online, which took netizens’ attention and caused interactions’ traffic among South Sudanese within the country and abroad. 

  1. The death of self-proclaimed Nigerian Televangelist prophet TV Joshua 

This was one of the leading stories in the early days of June. Joshua’s death took people by surprise and the below Facebook post by Nyamilepedia took the lead on Facebook, with over 1,500 interactions.

  1.   South Sudan medical doctors’ poor salaries and the delays

Another leading issue that week was a news story by The City Review, in which a medical doctor passed on and his fellow workers attributed his death to the government’s failure to pay wages in a timely manner. The post had nearly 1,000 interactions that day alone.

  1. Traditional video shared by South Sudanese Australian-based journalist 

In the second week of June, a post shared by a South Sudanese Australian based journalist created a huge debate online, which generated thousands of interactions. Ajak Deng Chiengkou shared a video bearing a throwback of him practicing Dinka traditional dance in 2019 – a video that got nearly 3,000 interactions, 1,000 comments and 1,000 shares. It was viewed by nearly 350,000 people on Facebook.   

  1. South Sudanese frustrations over economic hardships and bad governance

On 11th June 2021, Our Diversity – an online platform with over 23 000 followers shared a video of two singers describing South Sudan’s state of the nation, highlighting the hardship citizens have undergone and are still bearing. The video got over 14,000 interactions, 700 comments, and nearly 1,000 shares. Most of the comments praised the artists for being creative enough to talk about South Sudan’s hardships in a musical language. “This is the summary of 10 years of SPLM in power,” reads one of the comments.

  1. South Sudanese artist meets with Nigerian Stars Davido and Chamedena

One of Junub celebz’s posts, about an alleged anticipated collaboration between South Sudanese singer Chamdena and Nigeria’s Davido, also got many people talking on Facebook, with the post getting over 10,000 reactions, 400 comments, and 30 shares. Many South Sudanese in the comment section congratulated the artist while others disputed the news, saying he was only posing for pictures.

  1. Happiness and controversies over the ongoing Juba Stadium construction work

Footage of the Juba National Stadium under construction posted by the South Sudan Football Association on 15th June 2021 created an online debate with over 2,000 interactions, nearly 150 comments, and 200 shares. Many comments congratulated the FIFA global and South Sudan Football Association, while a few others raised concerns about the seats, lack of roofs/shade, and conformance to international standards.

  1. Opposition army chief rejects President Kiir peace advisor position appointment

Radio Tamazuj’s story on Gen. Gatwech’s rejection of the Presidential advisor position got many Facebook users talking. Over 5,000 people interacted with the post, which led to 1,000+ comments, 2,000+ shares and over 110,000 views. Mixed feelings were expressed in the comments with others supporting his decision and some not.

  1. Foreign Mission highlights the work of renowned traffic officer’s work

In a move to highlight his efforts in controlling the traffic jam, the United States Mission in South Sudan featured popular Juba traffic officer George Kenyi, by sharing a post on the embassy’s Facebook page. The post caught the attention of its followers, where many continue to appreciate George for the dedicated selfless service he has been providing and continues to. George Kenyi normally controls Seven-Day round-about traffic. 

  1. South Sudan’s female football star offered a job

SSDGuna.com – a tabloid media house that focuses mainly on entertainment shared the news of a South Sudanese female footballer Amy Lasu having been offered a job by Liberian club – Determine Girls FC. The post was among the leads that day, with many online users showering her with mob congratulatory messages. The post got nearly 3,000 interactions and over 100 comments including several shares.

  1. University of Juba student graduates at 66, after spending 44 years studying

In the last days of June, another story that made headlines was that of a man who graduated 40 years after his admission at the University of Juba. The story which was shared by Eye Radio, got over 3,500 interactions, nearly 500 comments, and over 100 shares. 

 Conclusion

Using Social Media monitoring technologies, discourse, and content analysis, this report looked into the online behaviour of South Sudanese social media users within the month of June. Various conversations took place over the monitoring and reporting period, with the situation in South Sudan continuing to be prominently covered. In addition, graphics, videos, and text were shared online, some of which were hot topics. However, video posts covered the highest interactions rates. 

Some of the statements that followed the release of information online, were among the conversations mostly talked about in the public domain. During the monitoring and reporting period, the spread of mis and/or disinformation and hate speech by regulated and alternative media houses did not dominate social media discussions. This can be attributed to #HateFreeSouthSudan and #defyhatenow social media campaigns including the practice of ethical journalism, information fact-checking and verification.

As seen in the leading posts, alternative media content predominates, in terms of what is being discussed online, especially on common social media platforms. Different realities were shared on social media, and as a result, individuals were exposed to a variety of viewpoints.

The report also shows that social media involvement was generally healthy over the monitoring and reporting period. Disinformation, hateful and inciting content, as well as those that directly or indirectly advocate violence against certain communities, have all decreased dramatically.

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