A survey conducted by the civil society group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has tracked the use of Facebook by South Sudanese citizens during the ongoing civil war.

CEPO executive director Edmund Yakani said that from December to April many South Sudanese citizens used Facebook to promote violence, but then since then shifted to using the social media site to advocate for peace.

“The shift was so huge that they shifted from 60 per cent supporting violence and then kept on increasing but when IGAD negotiation process started they shifted to 71%, shifted to from using Facebook for violence they started using Facebook for leadership and governance reform in South Sudan. That is what has happened,” Yakani said.

Edmon told Andolu Agency Friday that citizens turned to using Facebook for gathering and disseminating information due to the authorities’ continuing and escalating restrictions on the formal media.

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