Data Story: Comparable data on Persons with disability in Eastern Equatoria State

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By Oriba Douglas

According to a national census conducted in 2008, prior to South Sudan’s independence in 2011, people with disabilities accounted for 5.1 per cent of the population, though the census is controversial and the number of disabled people is thought to be underestimated.

According to a 2016 household survey conducted by the Food Security and Livelihood Cluster in South Sudan, approximately 15% of households have at least one disabled family member.

According to the Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring Systems, South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics, OCHA, IPC Technical Working Group, Population Working Group, IOM, and UNHCR – South Sudan Population Estimates 2022, the number of people living with disabilities in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State is projected to be as shown in the visual below:

The above visualization is a small step in realising objective (3) of the WHO Global Disability Action Plan within South Sudan which is; to strengthen the collection of relevant and internationally comparable data on disability and support research on disability and related services.

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments that, when combined with other barriers, prevent them from participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others. Persons with disabilities are defined as “those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments that, when combined with other barriers, may prevent them from participating fully and effectively in society on an equal basis with others.”

Decades of conflict in South Sudan, both before and after independence in 2011, have increased the rate of disability and rendered people with disabilities more marginalised and excluded, owing to the numerous attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers they face, as well as a lack of concerted efforts to include them.

The World Health Organization has published the Global Disability Action Plan. This document aims to assist countries in directing their efforts toward specific actions to address the health concerns of people with disabilities. Three major goals were identified in the Action Plan:

  • to remove barriers and improve access to health services and programmes; 
  • to strengthen and extend rehabilitation, habilitation, assistive technology, assistance and support services, and community-based rehabilitation; 
  • to strengthen the collection of relevant and internationally comparable data on disability and support research on disability and related services.

For the World Health Organization Global Disability Action Plan to be achieved in South Sudan, official statistics on people living with disabilities need to be recorded. This is because despite decades of conflict and its impact on poverty and services, leaving many South

Sudanese with different types of disabilities, there are no official statistics in relation to disability

Prevalence in the country.

About the Authors:

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

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

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

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

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

Data Story: South Sudan Floods database 2021 

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A look at the areas within South Sudan where flooding occurred the last year 2021, the populations affected and the exact counties that experienced the flooding. 

By Oriba Douglas

South Sudan experienced the worst flooding it had seen in 60 years in 2021. The flooding exacerbated South Sudan’s already-existing problems.

Political instability, conflict, underdevelopment, and disease outbreaks are among the challenges confronting the world’s newest nation, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

The burden of all of these, as exacerbated by the flooding, is enormous, necessitating the provision of much-needed assistance and aid to those affected by the floods.

UN OCHA South Sudan and its humanitarian partners on the ground in flood-affected areas compiled figures of South Sudanese affected by flooding in order to coordinate and inform efforts to help those affected by the floods.

OCHA discovered that Fangak County in Jonglei State had the highest number of people affected by flooding out of all the counties in South Sudan, with 67,191 people affected, including women and children.

According to OCHA’s reports, September and October are the months of the year when the most severe flooding is likely to occur in flood-prone areas.

Jonglei State has the highest flood burden in South Sudan, with 304,765 people affected by flooding, accounting for 15% of the state’s population. Though the state is no stranger to flooding, flooding in 2021 wreaked havoc in seven counties. Areas were cut off and only accessible by canoes and other improvised boat-like structures.

Meanwhile, Western Bahr el Ghazal and Central Equatoria are tied for the least number of people affected by flooding, but of the two, Western Bahr el Ghazal State is the most affected, with 2% of its population affected, compared to Central Equatoria, which has 1% of its population affected. Flooding in Central Equatoria is mostly confined to the capital city of Juba, which is located within Juba County.

There have been no reported cases of widespread flooding in Western and Eastern Equatoria States, and as a result, no cases of displacement as a result of flooding have been recorded.

Upper Nile State has been found to be the State most affected by flooding in terms of area distribution, with 8 of its counties affected by flooding, compared to Central Equatoria State, which has only one county affected by flooding, Juba.

About the Authors:

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

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

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

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

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

Business Insider Africa estimates South Sudan’s debt-to-gross domestic product ratio at 64.4%

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By comparing what a country owes with what it produces, the debt-to-GDP ratio reliably indicates that particular country’s ability to pay back its debts. Often expressed as a percentage, this ratio can also be interpreted as the number of years needed to pay back debt if GDP is dedicated entirely to debt repayment

By Okot Emmanuel 

Business Insider Africa has listed South Sudan among twenty countries with the highest debt-to-gross domestic product ratio in the continent.

It says South Sudan has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 64.4% as of 2022.

The debt-to-GDP ratio is the metric comparing a country’s public debt to its gross domestic product.

The Business Insider says by comparing what a country owes with what it produces, the debt-to-GDP ratio reliably indicates that particular country’s ability to pay back its debts.

That said, below are 20 African countries with the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. This list is courtesy of a report by Statista dated December 2021. Although the exact figures of these countries’ public debts were not disclosed, the percentage of debt to GDP is clearly indicated as you can see below.

CountryDebt-to-GDP ratio
Eritrea175.10%
Cabo Verde                                                          160.7%.
Mozambique133.60%
Angola103.70%
Mauritius101%
Zambia101%
Republic of Congo85.40%
Ghana83.50%
The Gambia82.30%
Seychelles81.90%
Guinea-Bissau79.10%
Rwanda74.80%
Burundi:72.40%
Gabon72.10%
Senegal71.90%
Sierra-Leone71.10%
Namibia69.90%
Kenya69.70%
South Africa68.80%
South Sudan64.40%

A recent report by the World Bank showed that more than half of the world’s low-income countries, most of which are in Africa, are either currently struggling with debt distress or at risk of doing so.

The international financial institution says 15 low-income countries today have debt that is collateralized by natural resources—yet none provide details on the collateral arrangements.

The World Bank then stressed that greater debt transparency makes it easier for governments to make informed decisions about future borrowings.

In the same vein, it makes it easier for the citizens to hold their leaders accountable for the loans borrowed.

Also, Standard Bank Group recently red-flagged Ghana, Kenya Ethiopia, Zambia and Angola as African countries that could soon experience serious debt risks.

Although the exact figures of these countries’ public debts were not disclosed, The Business Insider Africa recommends that countries should take serious issues of debt.

About the Authors:

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

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

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

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

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

Data Story: South Sudan Returnee figures, state and county levels 2021

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By Oriba Douglas

A returnee is someone who was displaced from their habitual residence either within South Sudan or abroad, who has since returned to their habitual residence. 

According to Round 11 of IOM’s DTM baseline assessment, Wau County had the highest returnee individuals at 171,394 and also the highest household returnees at 40,541 households. This can be attributed to improved security situations influencing voluntary returns.

Kapoeta North County however produced the least Household returnees with 102 households and total individual returnees of 510 people was also the least among the Counties of South Sudan. This is majorly due to the nomadic lifestyle of the indigenous communities who prefer to be constantly on the move and are not necessarily influenced by security trends.

The other areas highlighted by the assessment are in full detail illustrated in the graph above. 

CAPTION: Comparison of total returnees Household vs Individual

A comparison of the total number of returnees per State vs the total number of Household returnees per State asserted that Upper Nile State has the Highest number of Individual returnees which was found to be 361,232 individuals including women and children and also the highest number of Household returnees at 6,557 households. 

Lakes State on the other hand had the lowest numbers of both individual and household returnees at 61,549 and 11,771 respectively.

Upper Nile State leads in the number of Individual returnees while Lakes State ranks lowest when it comes to individual returns and the same scenario repeats itself when it comes to household returnees.

Western Bahr El Ghazal State leads with the highest number of individual returnees from within South Sudan while Upper Nile State leads with the highest number of individual returnees from Outside South Sudan.

Western Bahr El Ghazal State also leads with the highest number of household returnees from within South Sudan while Upper Nile State leads with the highest number of household returnees from Outside South Sudan.

About the Authors:

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

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

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

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

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

Explainer: Beware of fake content that exploits emotions and clouds rational thought

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Content that shocks or horrifies or makes us feel anxious or fearful is often used by disinformers. This week we show how our emotional responses are used to cloud rational thought and how disinformation can entrench stereotypes.

By Daily Maverick

Those who wish to spread disinformation often play on our emotions. It’s a tactic that is also used by salespeople. How many of us, for example, have been in a shop where we are thinking of making a purchase (usually an expensive one) and seeing us hesitate, the salesperson tells us how much interest there has been in the same item and how the one we are looking at is the last one? This is designed to make you anxious about losing a possible bargain, while encouraging you to make a decision based on another person wanting the same item. It adds urgency and pressure.

Most of the media organisations in South Sudan, which adhere to professional standards of ethical journalism, don’t publish fake news. Our media usually think very carefully when using graphic and disturbing images, and offer context and warning and, crucially, some kind of justification for showing unverified images. 

If you see suspicious content on a social media platform, ask: Why is it there? Who has posted it? What do they hope to achieve? Ask if there is any justification for using such graphic content and if it advances the story in any way. 

If you find content about issues you are uncertain of, or if you are vaccine-hesitant, and suddenly your emotional buttons are being pressed, exercise extreme caution, check credible media and then avoid sharing, unless there are clear reasons to do so. 

A quick note on credible media – how do you know? Well, you can look to see if the media organisation subscribes to accepted standards of professional journalism. Do they offer a credible means of addressing complaints? Do they tell you who the editor is? Any media organisation that avoids such mechanisms is not helping with their or the media’s credibility. 

Another role as a reader and active member of the public is to keep reporting those who seek to exploit and heighten fear. It won’t stop disinformation, but it may reduce its spread and cause less harm. It is critical that we all play our part in combating and mitigating these digital offences. If you suspect that content on digital media is disinformation, hate speech, harassment of journalists or incitement to violence, report it to relevant authorities in your area.

Opera Snapshot_2021-11-15_174048_public.flourish.studio211 Check

Data Story: South Sudan’s External Borrowing since 2017

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An overview of South Sudan’s external public debt from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, China Exim Bank, Qatar National Bank and the Afreximbank from 2017 to date

By Okot Emmanuel

According to the IMF, South Sudan’s external public debt was estimated at US$1,355 million (41 percent of GDP) as of end-June 2020.

Debt to the World Bank amounted to US$79 million on IDA terms, while debt to the African Development Bank (AfDB) amounted to US$28 million.

US$150 million had been borrowed from China Exim Bank to upgrade the Juba International Airport.

Debt to the QNB amounted to US$627 million. Oil-related short-term loans have declined significantly, from an estimated US$338 million in March 2019 to US$99 million in June 2020.

In FY19/20 around 81 percent of total loans (46 percent: QNB loans; 35 percent: oil advances and Afreximbank loans) are highly non-concessional.

South Sudan has not requested to participate in the Debt Service Suspension Initiative.

In 2019 South Sudan public debt was 1,281 million Euros (approximately 1, 434 million dollars), a decrease of 724 million since 2018. This amount means that the debt in 2019 reached 31.26% of South Sudan GDP, a 15.04 percentage point fall from 2018, when it was 46.3% of GDP.

South Sudan External Borrowing 2017 – 2020

Slightly higher oil production and faster oil-price recovery relative to the projections in the 2020 DSA have modestly improved South Sudan’s debt-servicing capacity.

The latest oil production data from the authorities show slightly higher oil production of about 170 barrels per day (bpd) in February 2021 compared to the about 165 bpd for the same period assumed in the 2020 DSA.

The latest WEO also projects higher oil prices in 2021 and the next few years; the projected average Brent oil prices for 2021 and 2022 are 58.5 and 54.8, respectively in the February 2021 WEO compared to 43.8 and 45.6, respectively, in October 2020 WEO.

As more than 90 percent of total exports and government revenue come from oil, these positive oil-sector developments improved South Sudan’s debt-servicing capacity.

A pie-chart showing South Sudan total external debt outstanding.

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

About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship: 

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

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

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

Social Media Impersonation Poster211 Check

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

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

By Vukeni Innocent Joseph 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

September-2021-Data-Flourish

Reported Killings in South Sudan, September 2021: 114 Dead

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Report By: Emmanuel Bida Thomas

Data obtained by 211 Check according to media estimates show that 114 individuals were killed as a result of violence in the month of September. This is based on information obtained from mainstream media;  Radio Tamazuj, Eye Radio, and Radio Miraya news reports.

In comparison to August, when 192 persons were killed across the country, the September killings represent a 40.63 percentage fall.

The majority of the deaths happened in Warrap State, where 30 people died, mostly as a result of floods. Western Equatoria State ranks next, with 26 deaths, the majority of which occurred during the renewed conflict in Tambura despite ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts.

The third state, Jonglei, had 13 cases, mostly due to ambushes and snake bites.

Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State registered 11 deaths whereas both Central Equatoria and Lakes States had 10 deaths each.

Five people died in both Eastern Equatoria State and Unity respectively. In Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal, 04 people were killed.

There were no media reports of violence related killings in any of the three administrative areas of Abyei, Ruweng, or Greater Pibor and Upper Nile State

September 2021 South Sudan Social Media Health Report

September 2021 South Sudan Social Media Health Report

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A 211 Check, Defy Hate Now South Sudan Report

Introduction

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

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

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

Key issues of the month

  1. Omah Lay’s Show in Juba

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  1. South Sudan earns respect after AfroBasketball 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Most Used Hashtags in South Sudan Twitter

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

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

Social Media Analysis:

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

COVID-19: 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. 

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