In Juba, a city that has known too many seasons of suspended peace, a group of officials, diplomats, and civil society voices gathered with a heavy but hopeful task: to confront the silent threats that can unravel an election before a single ballot is cast. The occasion was the launch of a national multi-agency coordination platform, convened by the Government of South Sudan together with the United Nations and IGAD, on October 13, 2026. The meeting was not about logistics or campaign calendars. It was about the words people hear, the stories they believe, and the lies that can turn…

In early October, Ukrainian drone attacks struck data centers operated by Yandex, the Russian technology giant often described as “Russia’s Google.” Within hours, a familiar pattern of wartime rumor and speculation began to unfold across social media. Users claimed that the strikes had not only damaged physical infrastructure but had also disrupted, disabled, or even completely halted the activity of Russian propaganda bot networks. These bots, which are widely believed to spread disinformation, amplify Kremlin narratives, and manufacture fake online consensus, have become a notorious feature of the digital battlefield. The idea that a precision drone strike could somehow turn…