South Sudan has been marred by phony activities between the year 2019 and early 2020. Most of the people caught in the act have foreign origins, and some of them are diplomats who have used opportunities at their disposal to lure South Sudanese, especially the youths, into insincere project schemes.
But recently, Animu Athiei, a Uganda-based South Sudanese national and Founder of Animu Athiei Foundation flew into a scam storm after making a suspicious visit to the country under the guise of the African Union Youth Envoy.
That visit faced a backlash after youth leaders in the country said the visit of the self-acclaimed envoy was unknown to key youth structures. Athiei declined to respond to a series of questions posted by The City Review.
In an attempt to find detailed information on her activities, we visited a website link on her Twitter bio but Ms. Athiei runs a website which in accessible, either because of a broken link, or server management redundancy. “This account is suspended, contact your hosting provider for more information” reads a message on the homepage.
“It’s very unfortunate that Animu Athiei wholesomely and wholeheartedly organized the AU Youth Envoy visit to South Sudan. She decided on her program and who she can meet without the involvement of key youth institutions or organizations. This is the third time and sad!” wrote Wani Michael, the Executive Director of Okay Africa Foundation.
The Director alleged that Athiei met with little known individuals who helped mobilized the youth, perhaps on the promise of a petty monetary offer.
“Some partners will come back and tell the world that it is difficult to work with South Sudanese youth when they’re part and parcel of the mess. In fact, the biggest contributors in dividing the youth. Some of you [people] love fraudulent processes! It is about time,” Wani fumed.
Juliana Siapai, an entrepreneurial journalist called Athiei an outright con personality who, for the most she knows as a liar.
“I am just here to amplify this Animu Athiei is a SCAM. My first interaction with her, she told me she works in the parliament representing the youth. What a lie from first meeting? At that time, I was working with SPLM Secretariat, am always in Parliament. She lies.”
The African Union Fraud Alert warns the public to be on the outlook for elements who run phony projects with the claim of belonging to the organization or its affiliates. If Athiei is a con woman seeking dwindle the youth the AU could take the action it deems fit.
“These correspondence or information may in the forms of email, text messages, websites, on social media, other digital platforms, text messages and / or facsimile, falsely stating that they are issued by, or in association with the AU and/or its officials. These scams, may seek to obtain money and/or in many cases personal details from the recipients of such correspondence, are fraudulent.
“The African Union wishes to warn the public at large about these fraudulent activities being perpetrated purportedly in the name of the organization, and/or its officials, through different fraud schemes,” part of the alert reads.