President Kiir isn’t Covid-19 positive, says Ateny

Fake news!

President Salva Kiir hasn’t contracted Covid-19. 

When contacted by 211 Check on Friday, Presidential Press Secretary – Ateny Wek Ateny stated that president Kiir has not contracted the novel coronavirus as rumored on social media. 

“There are some junior staff that have tested positive and two senior officials, which include me and Madut Majok, the political analyst. 

“We were tested positive but amazingly, the president is not infected, so anything that talks about the president being positive is a lie, they are just fabricated lies, the president is safe” said Ateny. 

Ateny, however, confirmed that a number of staff in the office of the president contracted the virus and are under self-quarantine as recommended by medics. 

When 211 Check also fact-checked the above picture using the Photo Forensic image engine, the picture has no origin and it seems to have been photo-shopped. We wrote to Next Media Management (Uganda) for comments but the company is yet to respond. 

This brief alert is published to sensitize you on the ongoing rumors that the president contracted the coronavirus. And thus when you come across such posts, kindly report them to online social media managements or ignore them.  

Note: Don’t engage yourself in online conversations that spread mis/disinformation and hate related content. 

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.

This story was fact-checked by Okech Francis, Emmanuel Bida and Juan Mule, AFF- South Sudan fellows. 

Business woman Achai Wiir didn’t pay South Sudan’s UN membership arrears

Fake News!

Business lady Achai Wiir didn’t pay South Sudan’s UN membership debts.

A news story published by a South Sudanese online news outlet on Tuesday, 15th of February stated that business lady – Achai Wiir cleared South Sudan’s UN membership arrears. When fact-checked by 211 Check, the story is misleading and qualifies under fake news category.

In an exclusive interview with 211 Check on Wednesday, South Sudan’s deputy Foreign Affairs minister – Deng Dau revealed that the arrears where paid by the Ministry of Finance, a statement that contradicts the news story, which indicated that an anonymous official from Foreign Affairs Ministry said the debts were cleared by business lady Achai Wiir.

It is the Ministry of Finance who paid the debts. All the government obligations are paid through the Ministry of Finance. It was actually $499,000$ that was paid but due to transactions from one point to another, what arrived seemed to be $495,000.

“The Ministry of Finance wired the money to the Bank of South Sudan and the Bank wired it directly to the Account of UN in New York” Deng revealed. 

He added that the Finance Ministry also cleared the African Union arrears.

“Whatever liquid money that has been going out, is the Ministry of Finance that has been paying. Our role is just to receive the communication from the finance but the finance processes the payment and that is how government works” Deng added.

When contacted by 211 Check, Promoter Kay Two, a close person to business woman Achai describe the news as fake.

“I have just seen that post and it a very big lie. We had not seen or done anything like that and so, we disregard. In fact, we are doing to disregard it right now on Achai Wiir’s page” said K2.

Note: False information spreads so first, kindly endeavor to be always cautious while online. Don’t share any content you are not sure of or you don’t know its origin. Think before you click!

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. 

A misleading post about alleged S. Sudanese boy killed

A misleading Post! The Sudanese boy was not killed in Uganda. The incident happened in Egypt last year. 

A post published on Facebook by a South Sudanese user last week indicated that a South Sudanese boy was reportedly murdered in Uganda. 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=231865338597014&id=101742418275974

But when the 211 Check team fact-checked the post, it was identified that the same story was published by the same person in October last year as indicated in the link below. The gentleman just changed the name of the country from Egypt to Uganda. 

The story that angered many South Sudanese was never true, the report revealed that the late murdered boy was a “Sudanese” boy, but not a “South Sudanese” as you two posts stated. 

The young boy’s murderer was an Egyptian man and the incident occurred in October last year as reported by the following news outlet and several Twitter handles.

https://www.alrakoba.net/31475517/%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%   D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A8%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1/

https://www.masrtimes.com/14281

In addition, Facebook also published that same article in October last year as in the link below:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=169964338096995&id=109868407439922

Note: to avoid spreading false information, don’t rush into sharing content that you aren’t sure of or you don’t know its origin.

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. 

A misleading bank note, 5000 Pounds!

A misleading bank note, 5000 Pounds!

According to online search engines, the current trending 5,000 denomination was manipulated.

The Central Bank also confirmed to 211 Check that it only launched 1000 Pound note on Tuesday this week.

Disregard the 5000 pound bank note being shared online.

The post was fact-checked by Geu Lazarus, AFF-South Sudan Program fellow.

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.