Tag Archive for: #FactsMatter

Fact-check: Is Mwijukye Robert Lubang part of a group that initiated a conflict in Magwi?

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By 211 Check Desk

A Facebook post by a page “Sixty 4 Tribes Press” with a photo of Mwijukwe Robert Lubang claiming that he was part of a group who initiated a conflict between pastoralists and farmers in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State is false.

“The conflict between pastoralists and farmers in Magwi County where dozens lost their lives and hundreds of wounded were initiated by active military officers in the SSPDF as shown by their Identification Cards,” reads the caption of the Facebook post that contained both his nationality certificate and Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) Identity Card.

The post did not give further details. 

Screenshot of the misleading post

However, in reply to the post, Mwijukye commented that the information was fake and should be disregarded. “Disregard it. Fake,” he said in a comment on the post.

A statement from Robert’s brother, Lodiong David Lubang says that the picture of the documents shared on social media were taken by an officer at the Nimule border as his brother signed out to go attend the burial of his mother-in-law in Uganda.

“The very photo shared was taken by one clearence officer of his cadre at the Nimule border. Why he released it is not known, but I can assert and say that the information is false,” Mwijukwe’s brother, Lodiong David said in a statement shared with 211 Check.

Media reports on the latest conflict between pastoralists and local farmers by Eye Radio and The City Review quoting Authorities in Eastern Equatoria State could not establish the parties to the conlict.

211 Check has looked into a claim that Mwijukye Robert Lubang is part of a group who initiated a conflict in Magwi and finds it to be false. Lodiong David Lubang, Robert’s brother says Robert is in Uganda attending his mother-in-law’s burial.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

Fact-check: Achai Wiir not giving all South Sudanese artists $ 2000 each this year

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Achai Wiir, via her verified Facebook page, asserted that the post shared about her giving all South Sudanese artists $ 2000 each this year is fake news.

By Kepa Benjamin Edward

A social media post shared on Facebook by Insight Juba, an unregulated blog, claiming that Achai Wiir, a South Sudanese businesswoman and socialite plans to give all South Sudanese artists $ 2000 each this year is false.

The post which first surfaced on the 20th of April 2022 avers that the decision came after a group of Achai Wiir’s close associates informed her of the need to financially help the artists so as to push them to the next level. It got over 1.3K interactions, 295 comments and 20 shares.

“Achai Wiir to give all South Sudanese artists $ 2000 each this year. This comes after a group of her close associates informed her of the need to financially help the artists so as to push them to the next level. The project will be spearheaded by her brother,” reads in part the post that has since been debunked by both Achai Wiir and her brother.

Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post

When the post first unfolded it created a debate on social media about whether it was valid or fake. However, there are multiple reasons to question it.

First, the post isn’t satisfactory with shallow details. It has no specific dates. Second, the claim was not shared on Achai Wiir’s verified Facebook account as the case has been with her previous projects.

Achai Wiir re-shared the post by Insight Juba and stated that the claim was clearly fake news.

Her brother, Alor, told 211 Check via phone that the news was untrue.

It’s not the first time for social media users to question similar posts from Insight Juba. 211 Check has repeatedly debunked posts from them. Recently, they were fact-checked by USA TODAY here.

Conclusion 

211 Check has looked into the post claiming that Achai Wiir wants to give all South Sudanese artists $ 2000 each this year and found it to be false. Achai Wiir posted on her verified Facebook page that the claim was FAKE NEWS.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa

Fact-check: This plane with the South Sudan flag and luggage on top is ‘digitally altered’

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A Facebook post showing a plane with luggage on top, posted by a social media user on the evening of April 21, 2022, is photoshopped and meant for satire.

By William Afani Paul

A Facebook post last evening left the audience talking after claiming to show a plane with a South Sudan flag and extra luggage tied to it.

Posted on April 21, 2022,  the image depicts a plane with a South Sudan flag carrying luggage on top.

“I am back in Juba; those who always react peacefully to my posts may come for their perfumes and other gifts. In fact, the plane could not carry everything, but we tried including extra luggage at the back of the aircraft,” says the caption of the post, which has more than 250 interactions, 150 comments, and 6 shares.

While the Facebook user who posted the photo, is known for his satirical and sarcastic posts, there was no disclaimer on the post that stated the photo was satirical, fake, or meant as a joke.

The post went viral shortly after it was posted. It was shared by a personal profile here (over 25 interactions, 45 comments and a share) and South Sudan Anataban, a controversial Facebook media and news Facebook page. It got over 1,200 interactions, 207 comments and 48 shares.

Screenshot of the misleading post

However, a Google reverse image search shows that the plane belongs to an Iranian airline called “Atrak Air”.

Original photo of the airline

Atrak Air was founded in 1993 with its headquarters in Ekbatan town, Tehran, Iran. The airline finally commenced services in 2013 with flights to three destinations with further services being added. As of summer 2018, Atrak Air suspended its operations.

The original image of the plane was digitally altered to include the South Sudan flag and the luggage tied to it.

CONCLUSION

211 Check has looked into an image in a Facebook post of a plane with the South Sudan flag and luggage tied to it and finds it to be digitally altered.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa

Fact-check: This image does not show vehicles submerged in floodwater following today’s rain in Juba

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The image shows an incident in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, when it was hit by deadly floods in November 2016 with local media reporting the death of several people.

By Ochaya Jackson

A photo shared on Facebook this afternoon by South Sudan TMZ, a Facebook and some personal profile claiming to show vehicles submerged in floodwater following today’s rain in Juba is false.

“Juba is booming walai after heavy rain poured this morning,” claims a Facebook user in a caption that followed the misleading image.

Screenshot of misleading Facebook post
Screenshot of misleading Facebook post

A Google reverse image search returns several results of when the image was previously used especially in stories related to South Africa.

The earliest version was when the photo was run with a story by Africa News about a flood on October 11th, 2016, in South Africa. The flood happened in Johannesburg, South Africa’s capital (Gauteng province).

The same photo also ran with a story on January 19th, 2019, about impacts of flood causes and prevention in South Africa.

The photo was used on January 10, 2022, by this website, in an article on the flood causes and prevention in South Africa.

Again City News ran the footage of the image on its YouTube channel on November 10th, 2016, regarding the flood in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Conclusion:

False. The image does not show vehicles submerged in floodwater following today’s rain in Juba. It shows an incident in South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, when it was hit by deadly floods in November 2016 with local media reporting the death of several people.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Civil Service Commission not recruiting. The job advertisement is a hoax

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The “Civil Service Commission,” though provided for in the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan has not been established yet. The Ministry of Public Service does its role.

By 211 Check Desk

A job advertisement making rounds on social media claiming that a so-called “Civil Service Commission” in the Republic of South Sudan is recruiting over 6,500 potential candidates to fill vacant positions in various government parastatals is a hoax.

The advertisement which first appeared on Facebook on Monday, 18th April 2022 states that job applicants should send their detailed CVs and cover letters to an email before 25th April 2022.

Fake Job Advertisement

However, the job advertisement is a hoax because it doesn’t come from an existing and legitimate government body. The government announces job openings via state media and public notice boards.

The “Civil Service Commission” though provided for in the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan has not been established yet. The Ministry of public service does its role.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a job advertisement claiming that a Civil Service Commission in South Sudan is recruiting over 6,500 workers and finds it to be a hoax.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Ministry of Petroleum Undersecretary’s resignation letter is ‘fake’

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The Ministry of Petroleum said on its Facebook page that the letter purportedly showing the resignation of Awow Daniel Chaung was fabricated.

By Emmanuel Wani Yusif

Tens of social media users have shared a fake letter purportedly from the undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum, Awow Daniel Chuang appearing to state that he has resigned from his position in the revitalised transitional government of national unity.

The letter dated 20th April 2022, which went viral on social media last night claimed that the undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum, Awow Daniel Chuang has relinquished his position citing dissatisfaction with being demoted from ministerial position to undersecretary which undermines his credentials in the hierarchy.

“I, Hon. Awow Daniel Chaung, do hereby submit my resignation letter to the leadership of R-TGoNU as undersecretary in the ministry of petroleum with the effect of the date April 20/04/2022…,” partly reads the letter that has since been refuted by the ministry of petroleum.

Fake Letter Screenshot

When the letter first appeared, some social media users suggested it might be fake and there were several reasons to question its authenticity.

Firstly, the letter lacks the addresser’s address or letterhead – rather it starts directly with a date, unlikely for such an important letter. 

Secondly, the command of grammar and letter alignment are unusual and unlikely to be used by an official of the undersecretary’s calibre. The letter also lacks a stamp which should have been the case since he was holding the post at the time of resignation.

The ministry of petroleum confirmed the letter was false on its official Facebook page. 

In a statement published on the ministry of petroleum’s Facebook page, it refuted the authenticity of the claim saying the content and the signature in the letter are fake and baseless.

“This serves to inform the General Public, especially, the Media Houses that, the circulating letter with its content and signature is fake and baseless. Hon. Eng. Awow Daniel Chuang, still the able Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Republic of South Sudan, Juba” reads the statement seen by 211 Check

It is not the first time supposed letters from government officials have been faked online. Similar letters have been debunked by 211 Check in the past.

CONCLUSION

211 Check has looked into the letter claiming that the Undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum has resigned and found it to be false. The Ministry of Petroleum said on its Facebook page that the letter purportedly showing the resignation of Awow Daniel Chaung was fabricated.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Was this a thief on a street light in Juba? No.

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By 211 Check Desk

Introduction

A photo allegedly of a thief on a street light pole avoiding beating in Juba is FALSE.

The photo shared on Facebook on March 28, 2022 by Insight Juba, a news and media website got over 180 interactions, 44 comments and 14 shares.

A screenshot of the misleading post taken on March 29, 2022

It shows a group of people looking up a street light where what looks to be a human is resting.

The post’s picture caption reads: “A thief climbed a street light pole to avoid beating in ( maybe Juba 🤷🏿‍♂️).” 

Findings:

Google reverse image searches found the picture in a tweet from March 08, 2019, by a Kenyan politician.

He captioned the picture. “Roho ni Moja jameni. Pictured is a thief avoiding being lynched by an angry mob.”

The photo was also shared in similar tweets on 23rd March 2022, Mar 12, 2022, here and also here.

Conclusion:

The photo allegedly of a thief on a street light pole avoiding beating in Juba is FALSE. The image is from March 2019 in Kenya.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our Africa Fact-checking Alliance incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: This photo shows a car bombing scene in Kabul, Afghanistan, not a fire outbreak in Juba

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By 211 Check Desk

Introduction:

A photo shared on Facebook by South Sudan Eye, a page that parades as a personal blog with over 48,000 followers claimed that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night.

In fact, the picture shows the scene of a car bombing outside a Defense Ministry building in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

“Juba on fire 🔥,” reads the Facebook post by South Sudan Eye on March 28, 2022 shared more than 5 times with over 290 interactions and 140 comments.

A screenshot of the misleading post taken on March 29, 2022

Juba is the capital city of South Sudan in Central Equatoria State.

The posts circulated after a State of Nation Address on Monday afternoon, in which President Salva Kiir Mayardit assured Juba residents of guaranteed security.

There were fears following deployment of security organs across the city that day.

However, the photo shared by South Sudan Eye on its Facebook page was not taken in Juba yesterday.

Findings:

A reverse image search on Google traced the photo to several news articles from July, 2019 including those by CNN and the New York Times. 

One of the articles is headlined “Kabul blast kills 6, injures 105 people”, referring to the incident from which the photo was taken.

Conclusion:

The photo shared on Facebook claiming that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night is FALSE. The photo shows the scene of an incident in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of ourAfrica Fact-checking Alliance incubation program under Code for Africa.

Data Story: 6.39% drop in the number of students registered for the certificate of secondary education examinations this year

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34,362 candidates registered for the CSE exams in the academic year 2020/21, with 22,724 males and 11,638 females. This year, 32,167 candidates registered, with 21,799 males and 10,368 females.

By Adut Maguil

The Ministry of General Education and Instruction released the schedule for the 2021/22 Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) Examinations last week, which will take place from April 18 to April 27.

According to Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, 32,167 candidates have registered for the 2021 academic year exams. There are 10,368 females and 21,799 males among them.

However, when compared to the previous year, when 34,362 candidates enrolled, including 22,724 males and 11,638 females, this year’s total number of candidates registered represents a 6.39 percent decrease.

Male candidates fell by 925 from 22,724 in the 2020/21 exams, while female candidates fell by 1,270 from 11,638 the previous year.

YearMalesFemalesTotal
2020/2122,72411,63834,362
2021/2221,79910,36832,167

According to Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, security issues in some parts of the country, the negative impact of COVID-19, which resulted in protracted school closures, and the destructive floods are some of the reasons for the low number of candidates this academic year.

About the Authors:

Adut Maguil, 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 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: Women in the Western Equatoria State Government

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By Justin Anthony

The Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan demands that there is 35% women representation in all levels of government. In this short article we look at the statistics of women in ministerial positions, members of state independent commissions and county commissioners in Western Equatoria State.

Out of the seventeen (17) state ministries, only four (04) female ministers were appointed by the various parties to the R-ARCSS in Western Equatoria State.

As per the power-sharing agreement, Western Equatoria State has ten counties in which only two (02) females were appointed as the County commissioners.

No Female advisors have been appointed out of the five.

In the six (06) state independent commissions that brought 30 individuals only nine (09) are females.


Gender
State Ministers		Independent CommissionsCounty Commissioners
Male132408
Female040902
Total173010
% of Women23.5%30%20% 

This brings the total number of female executives in the Western Equatoria State government to 13.


Statistics of women representation in Western Equatoria State  Executive
S/N
Name of candidate
Post
Party
1FemaleMinistry of Animal Resources, Fisheries and TourismIG
2FemaleMinistry of Roads and BridgesIG
3FemaleMinistry of General Education and InstructionIG
4FemaleMinistry of Gender, Child and Social WelfareIO
5  FemaleMember, Anti-Corruption CommissionIG
6FemaleMember, Employee Justice ChamberSSOA
7FemaleMember, HIV/AIDS CommissionIG
8FemaleMember, RRCIO
9FemaleMember, Human Rights CommissionIG
10FemaleChairperson, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation CommissionSSOA
11FemaleMember, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation CommissionIG
12FemaleCommissioner, Mundri West CountySSOA
13FemaleCommissioner, Mundri East CountyIG
1SPLM-IG 8
2SPLM-IO2
3SSOA3
4OPP0

About the Authors:

Justin Anthony, 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 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)