S. Sudan is the first country to conduct national exams since Covid-19 emerged in Africa, Education Minister makes a false statement

/in , , ,

Author: Emmanuel Bida, AFF-Cohort 1 fellow

On Monday this week, 34,536 candidates across South Sudan began their 2020 Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations – a landmark ceremony that was officiated by President Salva Kiir Mayardiit, who ranged the bell at Juba Day Secondary School situated in the capital Juba.

During the occasion that was attended by various senior government officials including the presidential advisor on national security affairs – Tut Gatluak, the General Education and Instruction Minister – Awut Deng Acuil verbally lied to the public.

Minister Awut confidentially stated that South Sudan was the first country in Africa to conduct national examinations since the emergence of the novel coronavirus, which led to the closure of numerous schools and learning institutions across the continent, in adherence to the World Health Organization Covid-19 preventive measures.

This is what Minister Awut said:

“Your excellency, as time closed for the bell, the Ministry of General Education on behalf of its officials, teachers and students would like to present a small token of appreciation for keeping the education candled on in a very difficult time; time of COVID-19 and economic hardship but you never forgot that education is a priority and for that reason, we are the first country in Africa to conduct our national examination. So we are very happy to present to you this gift on behalf of the teachers and children?”

But when fact checked by 211 Check, it was identified that the Education Minister made a false statement.

In addition, 211 Check team found that some East and West African countries had conducted their national examinations.

As part of know your facts, below are some examples of the countries that conducted their national exams;

In West Africa, the West Africa Examinations Council (WEAC) conducted the West Africa Senior School Certificate of Education exams, which started on 17th of August 2020 and ended on September 12, 2020.

https://www.myschoolgist.com/ng/waec-may-june-timetable-free/

In East Africa – Uganda, the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Examination started on the 1st March, 2021 and will end on the 6th April 2021.

https://uneb.ac.ug/ple-uce-uace-timetables-for-2020-out/

Background on the closure of schools and learning institutions in South Sudan

Schools and all learning institutions in South Sudan were closed on March 20, 2020 through a Presidential order, as part of preventive measures intended to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Six months later, the Ministry of Education and Instructions announced the reopening of schools for candidate classes only on 5th October 2020.
The Ministry also announced that other classes will resume on 5th April, 2021.


The Certificate of Primary Education Examinations in South Sudan started on 15th February and ended on 19th February this year.

Usually, primary examinations are conducted in November, while secondary schools exams are conducted in December of every year. However, due to delays linked COVID-19 crisis, the schedules were interrupted.

NOTE: South Sudan isn’t the first “AFRICAN COUNTRY” to conduct national examinations since the onset of the Covid-19.

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.

Fact Checked: Do South Sudan authorities have teargas?

/in , ,

Author: A story fact checked by Viola Elias – AFF – Cohort 2 fellow

The National Police Service has responded to online claims that South Sudan authorities are running the country’s affairs without possession of teargas. 

Teargas is described as a gas that causes severe irritation to the eyes, chiefly used in riot control to force crowds to disperse.

On February 18, African Full Facts posted misleading information on its Facebook page, which claimed that South Sudan is the only country in the African continent without teargas. 

The post reportedly quoted the government saying, “whosoever demonstrates against the government will be ready to dodge a live bullet”.

But when fact-checked by the 211 Check team, national police spokesperson Major General Daniel Justine described the post as misleading and a fabricated information meant to tarnish South Sudan’s Image, saying the country has teargas. 

“We have teargases. But sometimes our people blame our forces that whenever there are small things, the police shoot live bullets, that is why they think we don’t have teargas” Justine stressed.

Gen. Justine went to say the National Police Service inherited teargases from the then Sudan, adding that they are even available in all the ten states, except in Upper Nile. 

“We have many teargases that we have inherited from Sudan and it is based in all the states. Maybe with the exception of Malakal, which was disrupted by conflict in the past” he added. 

However, 211 Check did not visit the gas storage venue to witness its stowage. The team plans to pay a visit when allowed. 

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.

The Standard

Fact Checked: Are all men in the picture dead?

/in

Caption, from left: The late John Pombe Magufuli, Tanzania’s president; Ambassador John Kijazi, was Chief Secretary; Oswald Simon Majuva, was the deputy regional commissioner in Mara province and Augustine Mahiga who was the Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister. [Courtesy]

Fact-Check: Did Magufuli and his cronies die of Covid-19?

Author: The Standard – Kenya

I am sure you have seen this photo circulating on social media, including WhatsApp groups. 

Following the death of Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli this photo of Magufuli alongside three other men, with one of them taking an oath of office, started circulating on social media. It is claimed that all the four men in the photo had died of Covid-19. 

The Standard Fact-Check desk did some research based on the claim. 

Are all the men deceased?

We have confirmed that all the four men in the photo are dead. However, their deaths have been attributed to different causes, not Covid-19.

John Pombe Magufuli

From left. The first person in the photo is Magufuli. He died of heart failure. The announcement was made by the country’s vice president Samia Suluhu in a televised broadcast saying the leader died of a heart condition.

The VP said Magufuli was admitted on March 6, 2021 to a hospital in Mzena, Dar es Salaam. He was battling chronic atrial fibrillation a condition he had lived with for 10 years. She further said that Magufuli died at around 6pm on March 17, 2021 and in his honour the country will mark 14-days of mourning.

Magufuli died aged 61 and is survived by a widow and five children. His death comes after weeks of uncertainty over his health and his whereabouts, he had not been seen in public for more than two weeks.

John Kijazi

Next to Magufuli is Ambassador John Kijazi. He was the Chief Secretary.

Kijazi died of a heart attack on February 17, 2021 at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital and was buried three days later in his ancestral home in Korogwe District, Tanga region.

He served in different capacities in the ministry of transport before stints as a permanent secretary and ambassador. Kijazi was 64 and is survived by a widow and three children.

Oswald Simon Majuva

To the third left of Magufuli is Oswald Simon Majuva. He was one of the President’s assistant at State House. After his stint in state house he was moved to Mara province where he served as the deputy provincial commissioner to Adam Malima. He once served as an ambassador to Tanzania’s neighbour Zambia, stationed in Lusaka.

Majuva died on March 12, 2021 in Musoma, Mara province and the cause of his death was not made public.

Augustine Mahiga

The man in the photo taking an oath is Augustine Mahiga.

He was the Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister during Magufuli’s first term as president. Mahiga died on May 1, 2020 in Dodoma.

Announcing the death of his minister, Magufuli at the time said Mahiga had fallen ill on the morning of May 1, 2020 and was rushed to a local hospital where he passed on.

In 2015, Mahiga was appointed as Tanzania’s Foreign minister before moving on to the constitutional docket. He was 74 and is survived by a widow and three children.

Did Eritrea and Ethiopia Heads of States visit South Sudan as alleged, No – Report states the facts

/in , , , ,

Author: A story fact checked by Emmanuek Bida and DefyHateNow Ethiopia team

Ethiopia and Eritrea authorities have described the alleged recent visit of their heads of States to South Sudan as false and fabricated information meant to mislead the public.

On March 5, 2021, a post by Ethiopian prominent activist Natnael Mekonnen, an online user with 130K subscribers on Telegram and 240k followers on Facebook claimed that his country head of State, Prime Minister – Abiy Ahmed and Eritrea President Issias Afwerk had a courtesy visit to President Salva Kiir.

That very day, an online media institution – The SudansPost, which has 11K followers on Facebook also posted the same information claiming a visit of such nature.

Debunk:

However, when fact checked both South Sudan and Ethiopia DefyHateNow fact checking teams, it was identified that there was no such visit, qualifying the story as false, manipulated and fabricated types of misinformation.

First evidence: on March 5, 2021, the alleged visit date, Ethiopian Prime Minister was attending a book publication ceremony of “Yemedemer Menged” “The path to medemer” at this particular time.

Second evidence: The image used by one of the media institution to described the visit was taken on March 4, 2019.

On Eritrea’s President Side:

Third evidence: Yemane G/Meskel, Eritrea’s Information Minister retweeted the news and picture used by the personnel and media institution, signifying that the information is fake and shouldn’t be given attention.

Fourth evidence: EwnetCheck, a DefyHateNow’s fact checking project team contacted the Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation correspondent to the Prime Minister Office, that described the story as factually incorrect.

Fifth evidence: In South Sudan, 211 Check team contacted the Presidential Press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny who described the alleged visit as fake news.

Ateny said instead it was Sudan’s Chairperson of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al Buhran who visited Juba on 3rd March, 2021 and was welcomed by the President.

Note: False information spreads so first, kindly endeavor to always remain 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.

Image blunder: Eye Radio uses wrong picture and caption to tell a story

/in , , , , ,

A misleading image

On 14th of March 2021, Eye Radio published a communal violence story where a cattle related attack reportedly left two people killed in Lake State. 

However, the story featured an image with a caption that stated the picture was taken in Yirol County of Lakes State, by the UN Food and Agriculture organization.

It was captioned, “Cattle in Yirol, Lakes State/Credit/FAO”.

Eye Radio’s caption and post

But when fact checked by the 211 team, it was identified that the image was taken at Niamana Livestock market, situated in Mali’s Capital, Bamako.  

The research indicated that the picture was taken by Stevie Mann, a commercial photographer who might have supplied the International Livestock Research Institute – an international agricultural research institute based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The image was taken with a Canon EOS-ID Mark II camera. The original picture is seen below.

Origin image

Due to critics on Facebook, Eye Radio changed the picture both on its website and Facebook page – a great ethical and professional move.

Note: To know about our fact-checking processes, click on 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.

Warrap State governor bodyguards are all live, he wasn’t attacked

/in , , , ,

Warrap State governor didn’t fall into an ambush, all his bodyguards are alive, his Press Office has confirmed.  

Gen. Aleu Ayieng, the recently appointed governor of Warrap State in the unity government was not attacked and none of his bodyguards is dead, according to Albino Kuek – the governor’s Press Secretary.  

Kuek told 211 Check that the governor is on a State tour mission aimed at creating trust and peaceful co-existence among communities of Warrap and its neighbors.  

But the Facebook post which is now deleted by the poster, though it was screenshot by 211 team alleged that the governor fell into an ambush along Tonj South County road – an incident the poster claimed left 6 of his bodyguards killed.

“Aleu Ayieng, the governor of Warrap State is reported to have escaped an ambush on his way to Tonj South County, the attackers have claimed lives of 6 bodyguards when they attempted to exchange fire with armed youth, Emmanuel Monychol Akop and other reliable sources on ground have claimed” reads the Facebook post which is now deleted.

However, the link Facebook post still exist, and the screenshot can be seen below – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2889732944643893&id=100008216473945&sfnsn=mo

Alleged post regarding the governor’s attack

The report also claimed that the development was confirmed by The Dawn Daily Newspaper Editor in Chief – Emmanuel Monychol Akop who is currently in Warrap State.

But when contacted by 211, Emmanuel Monychol said he didn’t share any information of that sort, stating that the news was misleading, “the move was designed as an attempt to spoil my public image”.

In a press statement issued by Albino Kuek Deng, Warrap State Governor’s Press Secretary seen by 211, he described the news as misleading information professed by anti-peace elements who want to cause confusion among the peace loving citizens of Warrap State.

“The Governor [Aleu Ayieny] is currently conducting rallies, disseminating peace messages. He is in Rualbat Payam of Tonj North County and will proceed to Kirrik Payam thereafter. The place is calm for the past two days the Governor has been here,” Albino said in a statement.

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 fabricated content, the incident happened in South Africa, not in South Sudan

/in , , , ,

Authors: Story fact checked by Geu Lazarus and Garang Abraham

The alleged Facebook accident between a motorist and an elephant along the Juba-Nimule Highway over the weekend is a false information, according to a local official and online search engines.

On Saturday, a South Sudanese Facebook user claimed that a motorist collided with a troubled elephant along South Sudan’s major highway that connects the country to the East African region.

“First, he [driver] parked his car along the road and got out for peeing, as he was done, he immediately got into the car…and before he could start the engine, the troubled elephant came in a speedy and attempted to jump over the car but could it make it” the online user claimed via a Facebook post.

“The incident resulted in the breaking of the man’s leg. The survivor was picked by a Red Cross car that managed to coordinate through his undamaged phone. Now, he is undergoing treatment at Juba Teaching Hospital” he added.

When the 211 fact check team fact checked the picture used in the post, it was identified that the image used was taken in South Africa, but not in South Sudan as alleged by the poster.

According to various online search engines, the image was featured by Earth News Network on 8th of August 2014, in a story where a pair of tourists on a safari in South Africa found themselves in precarious situation, when a bull elephant decided to use their vehicle’s roof and bonnet to relieve an itch.

The same story was in the following year reposted by Dailymotion – a French video-sharing technology platform primarily owned by Vivendi on 14th of December 2015, explaining the same South Africa’s elephant/tourist related story.

In addition, Red Cross South Sudan Communication Unit revealed that their Eastern Equatoria State sub-offices didn’t record any related incident of such manifestation.

“I contacted our Western and Eastern Equatoria offices to find out whether such an occurrence was handled by Red Cross offices, they told me such a case was not registered over the weekend” said Marial Mayom, Red Cross South Sudan Communication Manager.

The two above evidence based investigations seemingly disqualifies the alleged story, which automatically categorized it under fabricated, misleading and satire types of misinformation.

Note: False information spreads so first, kindly endeavor to always remain 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.

South Sudan has only three psychiatrists

/in , , ,

Indeed, South Sudan has only three psychiatrists

Claim: South Sudan has three psychiatrists

Verdict: Checked

Source: UNICEF (a tweet by Radio Miraya) 

South Sudan has only three psychiatrists, the ministry of health has confirmed. 

“South Sudan has only 3 psychiatrists for the whole population. @unicefssudan is working with the #SouthSudan government to train social workers to bridge that dangerous gap – Abraham Deng and Helene Ryeng @unicefssudan #SouthSudan #SSOT” according to a tweet by Radio Miraya published on 16th of February. 

The above tweet caused huge controversies online, with many users saying the country has more psychiatrists, while others relied behind the information posted by Radio Miraya. 

When fact checked by 211 Check, the Ministry of Health spokesperson – Dr. Loi Thou admitted that the country has three psychartrists.

“Yes, it is true there are three (3) psychiatrists, they are senior specialists but there are also other categories like the junior psychiatrist, social workers, and people who are doing psycho-social support. There are many but the specialists are three” said Dr. Loi.

Previous Reports

The BBC reported on 30th October 2014 that “In South Sudan, a country of some 11 million people, there are only two trained psychiatrists”.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29823344#:~:text=In%20South%20Sudan%2C%20a%20country,are%20only%20two%20trained%20psychiatrists

The Aljazeera reported on 18th January 2019 that “Only three psychiatrist practice in war torn South Sudan, where many people believe in supernatural possession”.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2019/1/18/in-south-sudan-stigma-and-underfunding-plague-mental-health-care

The Online dominance of alternative media and how it contributes to mis/disinformation in South Sudan

/in , , , , ,

A report compiled by Okech Francis and Emmanuel Bida, AFF-South Sudan fellows

Background  

In South Sudan’s current developing media landscape, social media has become a national phenomenon and can be considered a mutiny to the news environment. This is because various users create their own content and curate the flow of information differently for public consumption.

According to the Digital 2021 South Sudan Hootsuite report, in January this year, there were 900.7 thousand internet users across the country. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of internet users increased by 13 thousand (+1.5%). This increase according to technological experts can have both negative and positive impacts.

Several other kinds of research reveals that social media has extended beyond everyday interpersonal communication and ‘life-sharing’ to the (quasi-journalistic) gathering and sharing of news information. The ease with which information is published and shared online challenges the long-established connection between the press and society, with journalists playing a mediating role as gatekeepers.

In addition, the possibility to comment, like, share, and follow news online has increased audience involvement with the news. For example, people, especially the young, increasingly get the most unverified and fact-checked news through social media – interactions that are habitually geared by Alternative Media.

As news circulation increasingly takes place through social media like Facebook and Twitter, which are regularly used by South Sudanese abroad and a few within the country, online sharing and discussions can create widespread mis/disinformation on certain issues or actors. Numerous researches reveal that when news spreads across social media, this increases attention to the story, ultimately influencing the (online and offline) public agenda. 

In order to deepen and analyze South Sudanese online interactions on Alternative Media’s planetary, especially on how they handle their stories, #defyhatenow – Africa Fact Checking Fellows have been monitoring their various Facebook pages and Twitter handles.

The prominent media houses featured in this brief included, Juba TV, Hot in Juba, Nyamilepedia, Visit South Sudan, Smart Family TV, Sixty 4 Tribes Press, The South Sudan Herald, Ramciel Broadcasting, Bentiu TV, among others.

Mis/disinformation related Stories on Alternative Media

Below are some of the few examples of mis/disinformation related stories that were poorly handled by the mentioned particular alternative media houses.

1.  Nhial Deng alleged story of having tested positive for COVID-19, posted by Sudan’s Post:

COVID-19: South Sudan presidential affairs minister has reportedly tested positive

The story was refuted by the Office of the President:

The above story published by Sudan’s post alleged that Nhaial Deng, the Presidential Affairs minister was among those that tested positive for covid-19, together with Ateny Wek Ateny, the Presidential Press Secretary in the Office of the President.

This story that had created vast debate online turned out to be false. According to their comments, many online users believed the information. But after the widespread, the Office of the President in a late manner dismissed the fake news.

2. President Kiir’s alleged resignation rumour.

The letter regarding President Kiir’s alleged resignation

As seen in the above screenshot, a message circulated on various WhatsApp groups stating that the President was set to resign. According to our analysis, this story could have likely caused divisive politics, hence triggering conflict in the country. But it was later fact-checked and found to be untrue – a move which reduced the anticipated panic. 

3. Another sensitive story was shared by a South Sudanese who stated that Ugandan authorities/thugs killed a South Sudanese boy in Kampala.

After thorough research and fact-checking, we discovered that the story was actually a modification of a post made by the same person that a South Sudanese boy was killed in Egypt. The individual merely changed Egypt to Uganda. This is an example of unhealthy news that can negatively affect South Sudan’s relationship with its neighbours and may harm Ugandans in South Sudan.

Find the link to the story fact-checked by 211 Check.

4.  Controversies regarding the Minister of Education’s statement on the national Primary Leaving Examinations for opposition areas.

Late last month, Awut Deng Achuil – General Education and Instruction minister issued a statement regarding the final fate of the primary national exams. In the statement, she mentioned that due to insecurity, students in opposition-controlled areas of Jonglei, Upper, Unity States and some government areas (Warrap) would not access the national exams, but this story was misreported by some Alternative Media, which created online wrangles filled with mis/misinformation.

Its negative implications left the civil population to wonder whether peace parties were truly in a unity government if they are not able to coordinate amongst themselves. It was taken as a political rivalry between the SPLM-IG & the SPLM-IO. However, the students later sit for their exams after a number of engagements.

Trending Stories

During the monitoring period, the leading stories included:

  1. Controversy over delayed Certificate of Primary Education Examinations for pupils in SPLM-IO controlled areas of Jonglei and the Upper Nile States.
  2. Mass Leakage of the Certificate of Primary Education examinations, with the education ministry being blamed for poor exams regulations. This was shared on multiple pages. 
  3. Mary Boyoi’s visit to Tanzania to feature Harmonize in a song, “All I Need”. The story was shared on multiple pages. 
  4. Government’s failure to meet the February 15th deadline for reconstitution of National and State Assemblies. Multiple Pages shared the story. 
  5. The story about South Sudan adopting the anal swab as COVID-19 cases surge.
  6. The arrest of drug traffickers trying to smuggle heroin via Juba International Airport (shared on multiple Pages).
  7. Achair Wiir intervenes to clear South Sudan UN debts (shared on Blog/Website).
  8. Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan’s Presidential Press Secretary tests positive for COVID-19; Nhial Deng Nhial and President Kiir rumoured COVID-19 positive. (Shared on multiple pages).
  9. Leaked classified Information story regarding….”SPLM DECISION MAKERS RESORT TO POLITICS OF ASSASSINATION”. The story shared on 12th February had 53 Reactions, 33 Comments and 66 Shares. 
  10. 17 year old South Sudanese boy shot dead by Ugandan Security Personnel in Kampala (13th February) – 75 Reactions, 159 Comments and 52 Shares. That was later found out to be a false story. 
  11. An alleged story of Aggrey Sabuni, former presidential advisor on economic affairs having died of Covid-19.

Analysis

  • During the monitoring period, the team noticed that there is a significant increase in the spread of fake news, with most Alternative Media engaged in the publication of sensational stories in order to capture the readership and create more viewers/followers.
  • It was identified that Alternative Media regularly get their news from citizens reporters and sometimes from mainstream media. Most information from citizens reports is mostly inaccurate, unverified and can cause harm to public consumption. It is noticed that most alternative media do not investigate or fact check stories but are good at sharing content quickly in order to attract more viewership.
  • AFF fellows have also noticed that the majority of Alternative Media are not active on Twitter. They mostly dominate Facebook, where many South Sudanese with low social media literacy are present. In addition, the team also identified that some Alternative Media Facebook pages have gone inactive with their last posts being before or shortly after mid last year (2020).
  • Impressive move; the team also noticed that some Alternative Media have in some cases apologized to the public for publishing inaccurate information – a great professional and ethnical step.

Recommendations

In order to mitigate the spread of rumours, claims, fake news and misinformation related content online by the Alternative Media, the following should be done by the relevant authorities.

  •  There should be regular fact-checking and verification of questionable news items published online by the alternative media. It is always important to write to them on the verdict of their information once checked. This will help counter misinformation and encourage them to publish credible information. This can be done by fact-checking platforms (211 Check) and others.
  • The team recommends that fact-checking organizations and authorities should be proactive especially in the publication of their fact checks. The team strongly recommends that 211 Check should consider promoting their social media pages to reach a large audience. This will help to counter misinformation and ensure the coverage of a wider audience. 
  • South Sudan National Communication Authority should capacitate its role in monitoring social media as is the case in many of the neighbouring countries. This should include requiring alternative media to acquire legality so that they are easily regulated.
  • There is also a need for the promotion of social media literacy and the importance of consuming healthy information. This should be done by the Ministry of Information, telecom companies and partners.
  • Government and partners should prioritize funding data-driven and online safety projects or institutions in order to bridge the already created gaps between mainstream and alternative media.

Links for Reference:

https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-south-sudan
A misleading post about alleged S. Sudanese boy killed
COVID-19: South Sudan presidential affairs minister has reportedly tested positive

Physical and cyber bullying, an underlying errant affecting many in silence

/in

A report compiled by Geu Lazarus and Juan Evelyn Mule, AFF-South Sudan fellows.

Background

Physical bullying is defined as the activity of repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another individual physically, mentally, or emotionally, while cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages or images of an intimidating or threatening nature. These can be through posting other people’s photos on social media in order to hurt them or making hurtful comments on other people’s posts.

According to Comparitech, (Sam Cook) a data journalist, privacy advocate and cord-cutting expert, Cyberbullying is on the rise worldwide. From 2018-2021, the global statistic has been increasing rapidly. Based on the research that Comparitech did on 20,793 with parents between March and April 2018, especially among adults aged 18-64, some countries have responded and most are aware about cyberbullying with India toping the index while Europe and other Americans have noticed the cases of their children being bullied.

In regard to the East African region, a 2017 research conducted by Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in public secondary in Nairobi, Kenya stated that, between 63.2% (640) and 81.8% (828) of students reported various types of bullying, both direct and indirect, with significant variations found for sex, age, class and year of study, whether in day or boarding school. Being bullied was significantly associated with becoming a bully, in turn.

In 2020, Plan International launched the #FreeToBeOnline campaign to protect girls and women. According to a survey under the campaign,  14 thousand girls from 22 countries, including South Sudan, attested to being physically threatened, racially abused, sexually harassed and abused online. 

Various researches states that cyberbullying maybe a contributing fact to suicide surge amongst youth today. But for South Sudan, the young generation, engaged both online and offline might be dying in silence without speaking out.

South Sudan Safety Comm project was recently established after many online users expressed pitiful stories to #defyhatenow over their bullying related experiences. Currently, There are no statistics regarding South Sudan’s physical and cyber bullying, according to police authorities. 

Experience from a victim

Agotich Alier Ajak is a second-year student of Law at the University of Juba who has undergone both physical and cyber bullying.

Years ago, Agotich was involved in a fatal accident that left her disabled. This, she says, has given bullies a chance to torment her – a scenario that has left her mentally affected negatively.

“On a certain particular day when I was at Juba town, a young boy laughed at me right in my face, it became more painful when all the elders who saw him laugh at me burst into laughter in support of him” Agotich painfully narrated.

She added that some people have condemned her for her disability calling her names and laughing at her, saying that she will not get married since she uses crutches for support.

She stressed that she has been bullied both physically and online.

What South Sudan’s laws say about physical and cyber bullying?

According to Wani Michael, a member of the Constitutional Amendment Committee, South Sudan Constitution as amended in 2011 does not have a specific law on bullying but it does have such crimes constituted in some laws.

“There are no bills currently on cyber bullying and cyber-crimes. However, the penal code has a general outlook that tackles the crimes and there are penalties for such crimes” Wani elaborated.

For his part, Maj. General Daniel Justin, the national police spokesperson confirmed that there are a number of cyberbullying related cases across the country. He, however, didn’t provide data.

“Cyber-crimes and physical bullying practices are punishable by law. The issue is people do not report these issues to the police. I urge the public to report such cybercrimes to the police for further investigations, in order to hold those people accountable.

“We as police are working hand in hand with civil society and the Interpol in order to curb cyber and physical bullying so as to help combat the spread of fake news and incitement of violence to the public” said Justin.

What experts say about physical and cyber bullying?

According to Ajang R. Nyibol, a mental health expert, both physical and cyber bullying cause low self-esteem.

Nyibol stressed that the occurrences can eventually cause depression and anxiety to those affected, “a person that is bullied ends up feeling not good enough. This may lead to suicidal thoughts and actions if not helped in time”.

Meanwhile, human Rights activist – Reech Malual who heads the Screen of Rights organization is among the few condemning the misuse of social media by South Sudanese.

Reech urged South Sudanese to avoid using social media for harassment and intimidation of different genders, “the negative online sentiments discourage female professionals from accepting jobs in public offices in fear of being accused of using sexual favors”.

What needs to be done/way forward

As far back as 2018, Reech has been urging the government to enact a cyber-bullying law, arguing that it will help track and curb cyber and physical bullying since the perpetrators can be easily followed up and punished as the law requires.

“The government has a role to be able to have a cyber-law, to be able to control the content of what is being published on facebook” he said.

It is on record that many South Sudanese have experienced both cyber and physical bullying in and outside South Sudan. 

Western countries consider bullying or cyberbullying a criminal act which may be addressed in a single law or may be addressed in multiple laws. African countries like South Sudan would benefit from creating similar laws since Cyber-bullying is categorized under Harassment, Defamation, and or Publishing intimate images without consent of the source.

In an exclusive interview with 211 Check last month, Napoleon Adok – National Communication Authority Director General said South Sudan has embarked on the drafting and enactment of Cyber Crime Law.