South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), a state-owned broadcaster, announced on Saturday, October 1, 2022, on its Facebook page that the speaker of the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) reshuffled a list of elected members of parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) who were elected on Friday, September 30, 2022, citing an incomplete document.
Screenshot of SSBC News Facebook post deleted moments later
Incomplete document cited by SSBC News
The document from the Speaker’s office was used to formally announce the results of all candidates, including those who lost. The announcement follows the original list of verified candidates. On the original list of verified candidates, each candidate was assigned a number.
Document showing original list of candidatesElection result for the 26 candidates as displayed on the assembly’s projector screen
The successful candidates were announced, and the Revitalized Transitional National Legislature confirmed the election of nine MPs to represent the country at the East African Legislative Assembly, or EALA, late on Friday.
On the same day, the clerk of the assembly listed finalists in a letter to the Secretary General of the East African Community.
Finalists in a letter addressed to the Secretary General of the East African Community
Conclusion:
211 Check considers the SSBC news post, which was later deleted, misleading. The news outlet cited an incomplete document.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/MISLEADING-SSBC.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-10-01 17:42:402022-10-01 17:42:42Fact-check: This incomplete document is not the official list of winners for the East African Legislative Assembly seats
The video footage is from an unrelated event in December 2021.
Writer: Emmanuel Bida
According to video footage circulating on social media and first published by a Facebook user, the wife of a South Sudanese minister was apprehended at Khartoum International Airport with millions of dollars in UN boxes today. This is false because it is an old video.
The post received over 100 interactions, including more than 50 shares and several comments.
“It is not surprising that the Minister’s wife was caught red-handed officially by Sudan Intelligence Security Agencies traveling from South Sudan with millions of dollars in boxes and has been arrested at the Khartoum International Airport (KIA) in Sudan with about $ 20 million USD in boxes marked UN,” partly reads the post that was re-shared by African press and Juba South Sudan, Facebook pages that are known for sharing false and misleading content recently.
Some social media users also shared the same video with the claim here and here.
A claim that money was impounded from a minister’s wife in Khartoum, Sudan, is found to be false by 211 Check. The video is from a separate event in December 2021.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FALSE-1.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-10-01 15:50:412022-10-01 15:50:44Fact-check: Money impounded from a minister’s wife in Khartoum, Sudan? No, it is an old video
There were no babies born with anencephaly in their department on September 18, 2022, according to a member of the surgical team at Juba Teaching Hospital. He also stated that the images that are going around do not accurately depict the Juba Teaching Hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology theater.
By Beatrice Amude
Aweil Eye, a Facebook page with over 6,000 followers claimed in a post on September 18, 2022 that a mother from South Sudan had given birth to an “old man” in Juba Teaching Hospital that day.
The claim was later widely shared on Facebook; here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here as well as in encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Screenshot of the false post by Aweil Eye
But is it true that such a baby was born at Juba Teaching Hospital? 211 Check explores its research finding here:
Dr. Francis Geri a Gynecologist at Vital Care Medical and also works at Juba Teaching Hospital said that the picture was not taken in South Sudan.
He, however, described the abnormality as Anencephaly. According to him, Anencephaly is when a newborn with absence of a major portion of the brain, skull and scalp occurs during embryonic development. Geri told 211 Check that the main cause of the anencephaly is folic acid deficiency.
In the comments section of the same post, Riemon Koyani, who was among the surgical team at Juba Teaching Hospital on Sunday 18th September, 2022 said he did not see any baby with anencephaly in their department that day.
“I am among the surgical team of Sunday and I didn’t see anything like this in our department, in fact I attended all the cesarean sections that day and I never saw anything of that kind,” Riemon Koyani said.
He also confirmed that the pictures circulating were not taken from Juba Teaching Hospital since they do not match obstetrics and gynecology theater views.
211 Check finds pictures allegedly of a woman who gave birth to an “old man” at Juba Teaching Hospital false. Riemon Koyani, who was among the surgical team at Juba Teaching Hospital on Sunday 18th September, 2022 said there was no baby with anencephaly in their department that day.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/JTH-FALSE.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-10-01 10:58:212022-10-01 10:58:24Fact-check: Was this baby born at Juba Teaching Hospital? No
The suspected case was identified in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria State, with similar Ebola signs. However, it’s only the laboratory test that will confirm whether he has the Ebola virus or not, according to health authorities.
By Jibi Moses
A message widely shared on WhatsApp on September 28, 2022, claimed that a suspected case of Ebola was reported in the border town of Nimule at 3 PM that day.
“I got a call at 3pm from Nimule about an alert case of a South Sudanese, male who was coming from Morobi camp in Moyo district, spent some short time in Miligo adjumani District till the morning of that day.He was identified vomiting blod, had difficulty in breathing, had high fever, coughing and with yellow eyes as per the medical team in Nimule,” the WhatsApp message reads.
Nimule Hospital medical director Silvesto Nyumba told Radio Tamazuj that samples from the suspect, who is now in isolation, were taken to Juba for investigations, and the results are expected today, Friday.
Screenshot of the viral WhatsApp message
When contacted by 211 Check, Kabaka Quintuous Leone, a journalist who widely reports on Eastern Equatoria State confirmed that the claim of the suspected case is true and that the suspect was put in isolation after his samples were taken to Juba for analysis.
Public urged to observe safety measures to avoid Ebola virus:
The Minister of Health, Yolanda Awel Deng, called on the public, especially travellers to embrace safety measures by regularly washing hands and other sanitary measures to avoid contracting the Ebola virus, according to a report by Eye Radio.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a deadly disease with occasional outbreaks that occur mostly on the African continent. EVD most commonly affects people and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It is caused by an infection with a group of viruses within the genus Ebolavirus.
The claim that there is a suspected Ebola case alert is true. The suspected case was identified in Nimule, Eastern Equatoria State, with similar Ebola signs. However, it’s only the laboratory test that will confirm whether he has the Ebola virus or not, according to health authorities.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Suspected-Ebola-case.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-30 15:03:502022-09-30 15:03:52Fact-check: Suspected Ebola case in Nimule? True
Cancer Research UK does not support the use of Graviola to treat cancer. Their advice is to be very cautious about believing information or paying for any type of alternative cancer therapy on the internet because they say claims that Graviola can treat cancer are not backed up by research.
The claim asserts that this is based on cancer research conducted in the United Kingdom, but no authoritative source is cited.
The image with the claim that is being shared online
What is soursop?
According to an article by Rachael Link, on an online platform named Healthline titled: Soursop (Graviola): Health benefits and Uses on October 06, 2017, Soursop also known as Graviola is the fruit of Amona Muricata, a type of free native to tropical regions of the Americas and some parts in Africa.
The prickly green fruit has a creamy texture and a strong flavor that is often compared to pineapple or strawberry. It is typically eaten raw by cutting the fruit into half and scooping out the flesh although in some parts of the world it can be made into chocolate, ice cream and tea.
A typical serving of this fruit is low in calories yet high in several nutrients like fiber and vitamin C. It also contains a small amount of niacin, riboflavin folate and iron.
Interestly many parts of the tree are medicinal including the leaves stem and fruits. It is also used in cooking and can be applied on the skin.
High in Antioxidants
Many of the reported benefits of Soursop are due to its high content of Antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize harmful compounds called free radicals which can cause damage to cells. Some research shows that the Antioxidants could play a role in reducing the risks of several diseases including heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.
It may kill cancer cells.
Although most research currently is limited to test tubes and studies, some studies have found that Soursop could potentially help eliminate cancer cells. One test tube study treated breast cancer cells with Soursop extracts. Interestly enough, it was able to reduce tumor size, kill off cancer cells and enhance activity of the immune system. Another study looked at the effects of Soursop extract on leukemia cells, which was found to stop growth and formation of cancer cells. However, keep in mind that these test tube studies lolog at a strong dose of soursop extracts. Further studies need to look at how eating the fruit may affect cancer in humans.
Other health benefits are: it may help in fighting bacteria, may help reduce inflammation and in helping to stabilize sugar levels. Many online sites have much information about Soursop and its benefits and these among others are: Wikipedia, Dr.Axe,WebMD, All recipes, medical news today, natural food series
An image of the fruit in its earlier stage on the treeA ripe SoursopSliced pieces of a ripe Soursop
211 Check contacted a medical expert in Juba, to give their expert views on what they know about the fruit medically, but he “couldn’t give clear explanation citing lack of medical evidence.”
Another health expert at the University of Juba told 211 Check that “due to the fact that the fruit is an antioxidant, it helps neutralise harmful cancer cells.”
An explainer by AFP Fact Check in 2020 stated that scientists say there is insufficient evidence to prove soursop work as a natural health cure.
“While research suggests soursop can fight cancer, it has not been studied in humans. As a result, there is no evidence of its safety or efficacy,” the non-profit Cancer Treatment Centers of America states in this article published on July 13, 2017.
According to Wikipedia, chemotherapy often abbreviated as Chemo, CTX or CTx, is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anticancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or it may aim to prolong life or reduce symptoms. It is one of the major categories of the medical disciplines specifically devoted to pharmacotherapy for cancer which is called medical oncology. The term chemotherapy has come to connote nonspecific usage of intracellular poisons to inhibit mitosis (cell division) or induce DNA damage which is why inhibition of DNA repair can augment chemotherapy.
According to Mayo clinic, chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body. It is most often used to treat cancer since cancer cells grow and multiply more quickly than most cells in the body. However, they went ahead to explain that it’s better for other conditions like bone marrow diseases and immune system disorders. They further elaborated more on the risks and side effects of the therapy both immediate and long lasting.
Many medical websites have elaborate information about chemotherapy and some of them are here, here, here and here.
Conclusion:
211 Check finds the claim that Soursop is 10,000 more effective than chemotherapy unproven; it is not verifiable based on available research and scientific evidence. 211 Check believes that individuals who intend to use Soursop in any form should consult with their treating physician first.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Soursop-Unproven.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-30 05:21:492022-09-30 05:21:51Fact-check: Is soursop very effective in killing cancer? This claim is unproven
This alert is not available on the official website of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The United Nations denies having issued it.
By Ochaya Jackson
A United Nations document alerting the public on organ trafficking in the Middle East countries on social media is not true.
The document indicated that the black market for human body parts in Middle East is in high demand, and warned the public of fake jobs offer abroad in which they murder the victims and remove organs from their bodies to be sold in the black market.
“The black market for parts of the human body is booming in the Middle East. A kidney now costs 262,000 dollars (131 million CFA Francs); the heart costs 119,000 dollars (60 million CFA Francs) and liver costs 157,000 dollars (79 million CFA Francs). Beware of the fake foreign agencies promising to make you work abroad. They process your paper, pay your plane ticket, and just take you abroad pretending they want to find you a job, but instead, they kill their victims, recover all the precious parts of their bodies”, the document reads.
The document bears the claimed link to the website of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
When one clicks on the link claimed in the document, it returns an error message “the page or document requested is not available”.
A fact-check by PesaCheck in March 2021 on the same document found out that the alert was false.
Furthermore, the archived statement on organ trafficking on the website of UNODC covering from 2017 until August 2022 said that the need for transplantation of healthy organs into those who have failed organs have increased as such illicit means are being used to harvest human organs.
211 Check investigated an alleged United Nations alert warning the public about organ trafficking in the Middle East and discovered it to be FALSE.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Fake-UNDOC-Alert.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-28 17:09:302022-09-28 17:09:33Fact-check: Has the UN issued an alert on organ trafficking? No, it’s fake
Although social media declared him suspended, Dier Tong, the minister of finance and planning, is still in office.
By Ghai Aketch
News making the rounds on Facebook and WhatsApp allege that the sitting minister of finance and planning Dier Tong was suspended on 21 September 2022.
“…Hon. Dier Tong suspended,” partly reads the headline of a Facebook post shared on September 21, 2022.
The post claimed that the finance minister was formally served with a suspension letter awaiting for further investigation to be conducted on Friday that week by a joint security Committee tasked by the office of the president.
Screenshot of the Facebook Post claiming that Dier Tong has been suspended
Is minister Dier Tong really suspended? 211 Check finds out:
Normally, the president announces public committees through the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation. Mainstream media would have covered the story, which is never the case with this claim.
When contacted by 211 Check on September 28, 2022, an official at the finance and planning ministry communications department, Maal Maker said the claim is not true and that the minister was performing his ministerial duties.
“That is not true. Hon. Dr. Dier is doing his assignment as always,” he told 211 Check in a message reply.
A corruption scandal involving the current Finance Minister, Hon. Dier Tong, was widely reported on social media the same week, just hours before the allegations of suspension. Dier Tong was accused of wiring 15 million US dollars from the government to a personal account at the Ugandan National Bank.
“I was aware when I was honored with the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance and Planning that I would be facing pernicious resistance from those benefiting from the inherent weakness in our public finance system. I shall therefore, not be deterred or intimidated…” Hon. Dier Tong was quoted in his statement.
Conclusion:
Claims that the minister of finance and planning, Dier Tong has been suspended are false. A statement from his office confirms that the minister is performing his ministerial duties.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FALSE-DIER-TONG.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-28 16:27:462022-09-28 16:27:48Fact-check: The minister of finance and planning, Dier Tong not suspended
The Facebook post featuring the images of a bride who appears to be fleeing her wedding and were not taken in Juba. The photos are of a bride who was seen running from her wedding in Nigeria, but no one knows what really happened.
By Jibi Moses
A claim by Juba South Sudan, that a bride ran out of the church in Juba on Monday this week after discovering that the man (Lualdit) doesn’t work for an oil company as he claimed is false.
Juba South Sudan, is an online page with a category of travel and transport. The page has 44,000 followers and over 40,000 likes.
On Monday, 26 September 2022, the pageposted pictures of what looks like a bride and some people running after her seemingly to convince her to come back to church.
The pictures were captioned: “A bride runs out of church today in Juba after discovering that the man (Lualdit) doesn’t work in an oil company as he claimed. Kalam de wosulu.” The post attracted over 1,000 interactions, 823 comments and over 60 shares.
The photos that were allegedly taken in Juba on Monday.
The article associated with the image claimed that the bride ran away after she discovered the husband to be wasn’t an employee at Chevron as he had earlier claimed.
This Nigerian website once again carried the same story but did not specify which date the incident occurred.
In September 2021 a Kenyan blogger shared the same picture of a bride running away while being followed seemingly by a bridegroom on his Facebook page with a description that a Kilifi woman ran away from her wedding after learning that the boyfriend is a taxi driver and not an employee of Kenya Commercial Bank .This was fact checked by John Mbati of Kenya.co.ke.on 23rd Sept 2021 and the claim was dismissed as false.
A screenshot of the article by Kenyans.co.ke showing the same pictures after they were fact-checked.
In all the above articles the claim was first reported by a Facebook user Sunday Ikemefula, he says the bride ran out of the church after discovering that the groom is not a chevron staff as he claimed to be, he lied to her. According to the post it happened in Eket, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria.
Conclusion:
211 Check has found out that the Facebook post featuring the image of a bride who appears to be fleeing her wedding and was taken in Juba to be false. The photos are of a bride who was seen running from her wedding in Nigeria, but no-one knows what really happened.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FALSE.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-28 15:10:402022-09-28 15:10:42Fact-check: These photos, allegedly of a bride running out of a church, are not taken in Juba
The directive by the Bank of South Sudan for commercial banks to block and freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is true. The Bank of South Sudan confirmed that the viral letter is its official document.
“The Bank of South Sudan (BOSS) top management would like to inform you that Silicon Valley Co. Ltd is still under investigation on issues related to compliance with all the relevant laws of South Sudan. Therefore, you are hereby directed to block and freeze the bank accounts of Silicon Valley Co. Ltd until further notice,” reads in part the document dated 23rd of September, 2022 signed by the bank’s director of supervision department, Deng Aru Bol and addressed to managing directors of all commercial banks in South Sudan.
Bank of South Sudan letter that went viral on social media
The Bank of South Sudanconfirmed the authenticity of the document and said they are the official and authentic source when contacted by 211 Check.
What do commercial banks say?
The Equity Bank of South Sudan said it has not yet received “the official instruction from the central bank”, but confirmed that it had “already blocked the account of Silicon Valley when the rumors” about their business came out.
Silicone Valley Shares claims to be a venture capital firm with more than $6.4 billion in assets under management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies.
The firm says it is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) headquartered in San Jose, California. Silicone Valley Shares also claims to have helped launch and commercialise 200-plus companies since 2010, including investments in DocuSign, Jet.com, Kiva Systems, LinkedIn, Rapid7, SurveyMonkey, Taleo, and TellApart.
According to news reports by Eye Radio and the Sudans Post, hundreds of South Sudanese, including those who have invested thousands of dollars in the company, are worried about its legitimacy and legality in the United States, though the South Sudan Police Service says the company is legally registered with the government.
mGurush Partnership:
In this blog post on its website, Silicone Valley Shares states that its clients shall be accessing its services using MGurush, South Sudan’s pioneer mobile money platform that provides a fast, easy, safe and convenient way to send and receive money across the country.
However, in a tweet reply, mGurush said it was unaware of Silicone Valley Shares and that they were not in partnership.
211 Check is still undertaking indepth research into Silicone Valley Shares and will publish its findings at a later date.
Conclusion:
211 Check has found that the directive by the Bank of South Sudan for commercial banks to block and freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is true. The Bank of South Sudan confirmed that the viral letter is its official document.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TRUE.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-27 17:03:362022-09-27 17:03:38Fact-check: Yes, the Bank of South Sudan has ordered commercial banks to freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is no cure for HIV infection. False claims of HIV cures exploit the hopes people have that an HIV cure will be developed, to generate publicity.
By Beatrice Amude
Africa Med solutions, a Facebook page that writes about health issues, claimed in a post on 24th September 2022 that Gammora, an antiretroviral drug helps to cure HIV-infected patients by destroying all cells carrying the HIV virus-genome.
“…and not only did that but also helped to increase the amount of CD4 cells in the patients, a sign of a healthy immune system…” Africa Med solutions claimed in the Facebook post.
The post that appears to be advertising the drug included an audiogram of a woman allegedly named Adut from Western Bahr-el-Gazal State, who claims that she and her husband were HIV positive but after they took the Gammora, they tested negative after 25 days of treatment.
Screenshot of the post by Africa Med solution
Research conducted by 211 Check to ascertain the accuracy of the claim found out that it is false.
Johnson Malish, a medic in Juba, told 211 Check there is no cure for HIV/AIDS at the moment based on scientific consensus, but there is only control of the virus from killing or destroying the patient quickly.’’
“There is no complete treatment of HIV/AIDS, but there is a lifelong antiretroviral medication for HIV, that will reduce the virus to undetectable rate, but once one ignores taking the medication, the virus will easily resurface,” Johnson said.
Mary, a woman living with HIV/AIDS says there is no medicine that can cure HIV, only the antiretroviral that controls the virus replicating in the body.
On her part, Nunu Diana, the Executive Director of Young Positives, an organization that works with people living with HIV/AIDS, said, “Unless we get clarification and authentic information from UNAIDS country office and WHO that claim by Africa Med Solution is baseless and it can distract young people living with HIV from adherence to their ARVS.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation, HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in your body and helps you stay healthy. There is no cure for HIV, but you can control it with HIV treatment. Most people can get the virus under control within six months. HIV treatment does not prevent the transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.
Conclusion:
211 Check has looked into a claim that Gammora can cure HIV/AIDS and finds it false.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is no cure for HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/False-HIVAIDS-Claims.png788940211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-09-27 16:18:502022-09-27 16:18:52Fact-check: Does Gammora cure HIV/AIDS?
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