Rumours and false alarms can spread through both urban and rural areas by word of mouth, via text messages, and on social media. This is a significant problem in places like the North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC , where false and unverified information contributes to intercommunal tensions and has the potential to trigger deadly violence.
While many of these rumours arise naturally as people try to make sense of uncertain situations with limited information, there are also those who deliberately use tools like social media to spread false information and manipulate or deceive communities. Together with my colleagues and a network of volunteers, I am working to address the problem of rumours and misinformation, which is a challenging task in a region subjected to intercommunal conflict, terrorist attacks, and the activities of numerous armed groups fighting against both each other and the Congolese government.
We dream of having peaceful communities in DRC where everyone has the freedom to express themselves and to know the truth, which would help to de-escalate the cycle of conflict and violence. Kijiji Cha Amani is helping our communities to reach that point by providing an interactive mobile phone-based information system for members of the public to report rumours, which our team then investigates before sending the verified facts back to the community. This approach was based upon the successful Una Hakika project, which did the same thing in Kenya before being replicated in other countries.
We have found that using various communications channels such as SMS, WhatsApp, and social media alongside a network of trained volunteers called community ambassadors is the best approach for maximising accessibility and interactivity. This is important when working with communities that have varying economic assets, technological resources, and literacy levels. We see many examples on a daily basis of different types of rumours and misinformation that can push people towards violence and it is important to understand some of the nuances and dynamics involved here.
Misinformation refers to false information in general. When we talk about rumours we are referring to unverified hearsay of unknown origin that may turn out to be either true or false. Rumours tend to be shared innocently and without certainty of the truth but they can still cause serious problems if they concern incendiary topics, such as those related to hostility between tribes. Unlike rumours, disinformation is a type of misinformation that someone has deliberately created in order to achieve a goal, which can range from making money by driving online engagement to manipulating populations to engage in violence.
