Tag Archive for: #SocialMedia

Fact-check: Is soursop very effective in killing cancer? This claim is unproven

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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.

By Jibi Moses

Claims across the internet suggest that soursop, a species of the genus Annona of the custard apple tree family, Annonaceae, which has edible fruit is 10,000 times more effective in killing cancer than chemotherapy.

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 tree

A ripe Soursop

Sliced pieces of a ripe Soursop 

What do experts say about 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.

The Cancer Research UK charity also states in an article here that “There is not enough reliable evidence that graviola works as a treatment for cancer.” 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.

FDA Warns Against Soursop (Graviola):

In April 2017, the Food and Drug Association (FDA) sent out warning letters to 14 companies, advising them to change or remove the fraudulent claims regarding Graviola on their websites. The FDA forwarded warning letters to all companies selling/distributing Graviola because unsubstantiated claims are made that Graviola can cure cancer.

What is Chemotherapy?

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.

Fact-check: Has the UN issued an alert on organ trafficking? No, it’s fake

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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”.

Additionally, there is no any related document alerting about organ trafficking on the UN office on drugs and crime website.

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.

Screenshot of archived webpage

On March 10, 2021, UNODC Pakistan spokesperson Rizwana Asad told AFP that the claim was false and not shared by the UN.

AFP Fact-check states that the purported alert was first published on Facebook on March 2, 2021.

211 Check investigated an alleged United Nations alert warning the public about organ trafficking in the Middle East and discovered it to be FALSE.

Fact-check: The minister of finance and planning, Dier Tong not suspended

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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.

In a statement the same week amidst the suspension allegations, the minister of finance and planning in an assuring tone said he was currently in his office performing his duties and was under no investigation whatsoever.

Corruption scandal claims:

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. 

These corruption allegations were later dismissed by Dier Tong as reported by Eye Radio as unfounded.

“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.

Fact-check: These photos, allegedly of a bride running out of a church, are not taken in Juba

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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 page posted 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.

A reverse image search of the photos shared in the Facebook post indicated that the photos were infact first shared on 15th August 2016 and were traced to the Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria.

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.

The photo was shared widely in 2016 by various websites. The photo once again surfaced in August 2021 with the same claim. 

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.

Fact-check: Yes, the Bank of South Sudan has ordered commercial banks to freeze accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited

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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.

By Ochaya Jackson

The Bank of South Sudan has directed the blocking and freezing of accounts for Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited that claims it is affiliated to Silicone Valley Shares, in all the commercial banks in South Sudan.

The bank’s decision according to the document that went viral on social media, is that the Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited is under investigation on compliance issues with the laws of South Sudan.

“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 Sudan confirmed 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.

Ecobank, where most of the company’s bank wire is done and Co-operative Bank South Sudan could not immediately respond to our inquiries.

What does 211 Check know about Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited?

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.

It entered the South Sudan Market and registered at the registrar of companies in the ministry of Justice in December 2021 as “Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited.” 

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.

Freezing of Silicone Valley Shares Bank Accounts:

On September 23, 2022, the Central Bank of South Sudan directed all commercial banks operating in the country to block and freeze all accounts of Silicone Valley South Sudan Co. Limited. 

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.

Fact-check: Does Gammora cure HIV/AIDS?

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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.”

What is Gammora?

Gammora is a drug developed by Zion Medical, an Israeli-based biotech company that announced the result of their first clinical trial of the HIV drug Gammora which they claimed was able to eliminate 99% of the HIV within four weeks of treatment. Zion Medical reported that their study enrolled nine patients in Uganda.

Zion Medical Company later admitted that the trial was not registered with Uganda’s regulatory body, and it couldn’t explain the poor treatment Ugandan patients got as part of its ‘trial’.

An independent analysis by Treatment Action Group (TAG) on Zion Medical’s Gammora press release states any claim that the peptide is a potential HIV cure is egregiously false. The trial is not listed among research authorized by the Uganda National Drug Authority.

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.

Fact-check: South Sudan is NOT the largest producer of okra in Africa

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South Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have no data on how much okra South Sudan produces. Official statistics name Nigeria as the largest producer of okra in Africa.

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas 

African Report files, a Facebook blog page with 183K followers, claimed in a post on September 3, 2022, that South Sudan is the largest producer of Okra in Africa.

Screenshot of a Facebook post claiming that South Sudan is the largest producer of Okra in Africa

The claim drew 1.6K interactions, 180 comments, and 357 shares on Facebook and was re-posted by The Mail and ACC Tv.

The same claim was shared by a Twitter user here on September 7, 2022. While some audiences believed it was accurate, others argued it was false.

However, according to data on the global production of okra by Atlas, Nigeria is the second largest producer of Okra in the world, with 1,819,018 tonnes of yearly production, making it the first in Africa. The same data can be found in the diversity times.

Screenshot showing World Okra Production by Country

The database of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, FAOSTAT, which has a wealth of agricultural information, including okra, also names Nigeria as the largest producer of okra in Africa.

Okra production in Africa, according to data from FAO

Okra Production in South Sudan:

An internet search on okra production in South Sudan returns no data on how many tonnes the country produces yearly.

Statistics on FAOSTATS indicate “missing value (data cannot exist, not applicable)” for okra production in South Sudan.

211 Check reached out to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, but they could not immediately provide statistics on okra production in South Sudan.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a claim that South Sudan is the largest producer of okra in South Sudan and finds it to be false. Both South Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have no data on how much okra South Sudan produces. Official statistics name Nigeria as the largest producer of okra in Africa.

Fact-check: No evidence the World Academic Competition exists

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The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.

By Ochaya Jackson

Social media reports going viral have indicated that South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan has won the “World Academic Competition” which was reportedly held in London. 

According to the certificate of appreciation, Gai Malong was pictured with and posted on social media, the event was allegedly held on September 12th.

“South Sudanese, Mr. Gai Malong Awan wins top position at The World Academic Competition (WAC) in London. Gai scored an average of 94% in all exams. The competition ranked South Sudan in the first position, followed by England, Sweden and USA,” reads the Facebook post seen by 211 Check.

Screenshot of post announcing Gai’s win

However, did this competition even happen, or does it even exist? 211 Check investigated this assertion.

Digital Footprint:

A simple google search returns no result related to The World Academic Compeition. It has no digital footprints both on websites and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Facebook and Twitter searches only return results related to posts of Gai winning the competition.

The email:

When 211 Check wrote to the email [email protected] indicated in the competition’s letterhead, Andy Carrel who manages the email said, “I don’t know anything about these claims or any competition by that name.”

Screenshot of email reply from [email protected] 

The World Academic Competition category is not among the global academic competitions for students 2022-2023. The link is here  

Photos shared with the claim:

The report also included the picture of thousands of spectators claimed to be attendees of the event alongside South Sudanese Gai Malong Awan, but reverse image searches on some of the photos return results of the same photos from different events and not a World Academic Competition. 

Two of the photos was taken during World Scholars Cup by A.B. Paterson College Foundation….without Gai Malong among them. The link is here and here.

Another photo purportedly of panelists during the competition can be found on the website of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations.

The Logo:

The WAC logo

The logo used in the claim of World Academic Competition appears to be impersonating the “Seal of the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States of America.” The link is here.

Seal of the World Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in the United States of America

Conclusion:


211 Check has looked into a claim that a World Academic Competition (WAC) was held in London on 12 September 2022 and finds it unproven. The competition has no digital footprint, and major news outlets haven’t reported it. A rare case of global competition.

Fact-check: MTN South Sudan 40th Anniversary Celebration Gift Raffle is a Hoax

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MTN South Sudan is just ten years old, and it marked its 10th anniversary in June 2021. Therefore, do not click and provide your contact address or personal information to suspicious online websites.

By Kei Emmanuel Duku

Introduction:

A website link widely shared on various WhatsApp groups claiming that MTN customers in South Sudan stand a chance of winning 300 euros through a questionnaire as MTN celebrates its 40th anniversary is false.

Fake Promotional Website Circulating on WhatsApp

While answering the questions on the website, you will encounter questions like:

1. Do you know MTN South Sudan?

2. How old are you?

3. What do you think about MTN South Sudan?

4. And, they also asked if you were male or female?

After going through the four-step questionnaires, a dialogue box with a congratulatory message pops up, “Your answers have been saved successfully. You have a chance to win gifts, and you must select the correct box with your prize inside.” You have three attempts. Good luck”. 

Upon selecting the first 2 boxes, it will tell you, “Sorry, the box you have selected is empty. Try again.” You have more chances left, but by clicking on the second row of the first two boxes, it tells you. “Congratulations! You did it! “You won 300 euros.”

And the thump rule: for you to get the money, you must be able to share their promotional messages in five groups and with 20 other friends, as well as complete the registration process with all contact addresses, in order for you to receive the 300 euros in 5-7 days. 

However, the promotion is not true, and below are some of our findings which make the promotion false or a hoax. 

If you do a close analysis of the website, it directs you to a different website, not the official MTN South Sudan website. The official website for MTN South Sudan is https://mtn.com.ss. The false promotional website is affirmationkidnap.top/ev, which we found to be unrelated to MTN South Sudan. 

Additionally, the impostor website is not encrypted, as all legitimate websites start with HTTPS. Therefore, you should desist from such scrupulous links or websites. 

Investigation:

MTN South Sudan was established in 2011, right after the independence of South Sudan, with its headquarters located in Hai Jerusalem, Juba-South Sudan. MTN celebrated its 10th year of existence in South Sudan in June last year.

When contacted by 211 Check via WhatsApp for the above promotional prizes. MtnSSD customer centre in South Sudan disputed the prizes and subsequently warned its customers about fake activities/business circulating on social media on behalf of the company’s name. 

“No, please be informed that it’s not from MTN.” Keep away from that unreliable information because it’s dangerous. ” “We appreciate you reaching out to us MTNSS,” reads the WhatsApp message from MTN South Sudan.

Another finding using Whois Search indicates that the website was created on May 07, 2022, updated two days later, and it will expire on May 07, 2023, with the website https://ican.org/epp # OK and URL www.west263.com registered in the province of Zhejiang, yet the official website for MTN South Sudan is https://mtn.com.ss.

Lastly, you can click on the link several times and keep winning the 300 euros. This is to lure you to share several times with audiences within your reach for them to achieve their set targets, but ideally, there’s nothing to win.  

Conclusion:

211 Check has investigated a claim stating that MTN South Sudan is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and found it to be a hoax. MTN South Sudan is just ten years old, and it marked its 10th anniversary in June 2021. Therefore, do not click and provide your contact address or personal information to suspicious online websites.

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.