Allegations of deaths resulting from mobile phone calls are not true – Minister

By James Gatdet Dak

September 7, 2010 (JUBA) – The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Service in the Government of Southern Sudan, Madut Biar Yel, has dismissed as “mere rumors” the alleged death of people resulting from some mobile phone calls in Southern Sudan.

For the last five days, rumors spread among the population that there were certain strange phone numbers, when calls were being received from, immediately exploded on the receivers’ phones and caused injuries or deaths. A number of people across the region were alleged to have already died because of the phone explosions.

The rumors caused certain degree of panic in the semi-autonomous region – with fast growing number of mobile phone users – as some people began to reject answering phone calls from numbers whose callers were not registered on receiver’s caller lists.

Madut however said the allegations about exploding mobile phones were not true, adding that there was nothing of that kind. He said investigations conducted showed that there was never any such kind of phone explosion or injury of anybody throughout Southern Sudan.

The Telecommunications minister said the allegations might have been created and spread by criminals who wanted to cause panic among the people. He said the government was investigating the sources of such false rumors so that culprits are charged in court of law when found.

Madut called on the population, particularly the mobile phone users, not to listen to such lies spread by criminals who wanted to falsely frighten the phone users.

(ST)