Tag Archive for: #SouthSudan

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

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.

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: 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

Fact-check: Has the SPLM-IO been dissolved as claimed? No.

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A press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022 claiming that the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved is False. His press secretary Puok Both says the information is false and fabricated.

By 211 Check Desk

According to a press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022, the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved.

“…Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhorgon released a statement dissolving SPLM-IO party and joining the mother party SPLM under President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” partly reads the statement shared on WhatsApp.

Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement
Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement

The statement was not released by Riek Machar, however.

Investigation

The statement is not viewable on Riek Machar’s Facebook Page or Twitter Account nor did 211 Check find any news reports of the alleged statement in South Sudan’s mainstream media.

The alleged statement shared by online users was not released by First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, his press secretary, Puok Both told 211 Check.

“This is false and fabricated information,” Puok Both said in a message reply to  211 Check.

Conclusion:

False. First Vice President, Riek Machar Teny has not dissolved his SPLM-IO party.

#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.

Scam Alert: Fake Facebook Accounts

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The Facebook accounts Awow Daniel Chaung and Josephine Napwon Cosmos asking random Messenger users to wire them money are imposters.

By 211 Check Desk

211 received reports about two Facebook accounts. The names Awow Daniel Chaung, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, and Josephine Napwon Cosmos, Minister for Environment and Forestry, are both forgeries. They are pretending to be these government officials.

According to reports received by 211 Check, these accounts are randomly requesting monetary assistance from Facebook users via messenger, as shown in the screenshots below.

In one of the incidents, the fake accounts claim to have ordered a car from Japan, arrived at the Malaba border, and needed assistance so that a victim would send money for border clearance.

Screenshots of the Fake Accounts and their messages 

Surprisingly, if you repeatedly question them or become suspicious of them, they will block you and move on to the next unsuspecting prey.

The impostor usually gives unsuspecting people an MTN Uganda number so that money can be transferred through the line.

Josephine Napwon’s legitimate Facebook page is: Hon. Josephine Napwon – National Minister of Environment and Forestry RSS.

Awow Daniel Chaung does not run a personal page at the moment.

Spot and Avoid Government Impersonator Scams

  • A government impersonator scam often starts with a call, email, or text message from someone who says they’re with a government agency or official. They might give you their “some reason” to sound official. And they might have information about you, like your name or home address.
  • They’ll also give you some reason why you need to send money or give them your personal information immediately. If you get a message like that, ignore the message. It’s a scammer.
  • Because government agencies or officials won’t call, email, or text you and ask for money or personal information. Only a scammer will do that.

 How to avoid the scam

  • Don’t wire money, send cash, or use any kind of transaction to pay someone who says they’re a government official or agency. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and almost impossible to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear.
  • Don’t give your financial or other personal information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re a government official or agency. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct.
  • Don’t click on links in unexpected emails or text messages. Scammers send emails and text messages that look like they’re real, but are designed to steal your money and your personal information. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Simply delete the message.

#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 picture is not of a Yei girl married to a Whiteman.

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211 Check investigated a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and discovered it to be FALSE. Korra Obidi is a Nigerian dancer who recently gave birth to her second child. She is not a Yei South Sudanese.

By 211 Check 

A Facebook photo purportedly of one Miss Ajonye from Yei, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, with her “kawaja” husband is deceptive.

The picture was shared on Wednesday this week with the caption, “First Yei Girl to be married to Kawaja and gat two baby boys. Congratulations Ajonye. Minori is proud. The whole South Sudan is happy for you.”

Screenshot of Misleading Facebook Post

But, is the lady in the picture from Yei, South Sudan? We checked it.

Findings:

A reverse image search, returned results of the same picture depicting the incident involving a Nigerian lady.

The picture shows Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer and her husband Justin Dean. They have been married for four years and she had given birth to their second child.

Screenshot of Korra Obidi’s Instagram Post

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and finds it to be FALSE. The photo is of Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer who had given birth to her second child. She is not a South Sudanese from Yei

#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.

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

Fact-check: @BSS_Original is the authentic Twitter Account for the Bank of South Sudan

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The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

By 211 Check Desk 

The Central Bank of South Sudan currently has three Twitter accounts in its name, this has made it difficult for its followers to figure out which is authentic and actively used.

We cross checked to find out, which is legitimate.

Findings:

A spokesperson of the Bank of South Sudan, Majok .N. Arou tells 211 Check on Wednesday that the @BSS_Original created in February 2022 is their legitimate handle.

https://twitter.com/BSS_Original?s=09

“It is confirmed by the technician. It is our Twitter,” he told 211 Check in a WhatsApp message.

Independent examination by 211 Check also shows that the @BSS_Original account has been tweeting daily since creation.

Screenshot of Bank of South Sudan’s Authentic Twitter

The other account @BankofSouthSuda created in July 2013 last tweeted in January 2014 whereas the @BankofSouthS account created in December 2018 last tweeted in July 2019.

Conclusion:

The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

#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.