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Sudan Tribune

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S. Sudanese rights activist urges government to respect press freedoms

August 6, 2015 (KAMPALA) – A leader of the South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHURSA) has called on the government of South Sudan to reverse its decision over the recent closing down of The Citizen Newspaper and Free Voice Radio in Juba. The two media houses were shut down on Wednesday by security agents following their coverage on political press conference in the national capital.

South Sudanese men read newspapers in Juba on 10 July 2011, the day after independence from Sudan (Source: Phil Moore / AFP)
South Sudanese men read newspapers in Juba on 10 July 2011, the day after independence from Sudan (Source: Phil Moore / AFP)
Biel Boutros Biel, executive direct of SSHURSA, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday said continued crack down on media outlets meant violation of article 24 of the transitional constitution of South Sudan that was stipulated in July 2011.

He said restriction of media coverage on proposal by the East African regional bloc, IGAD, indicated denial of the country’s citizens the right to have access to information about the ongoing negotiations in Addis Ababa between warring parties.

“Closing down media outlets is violation of press freedom, speech and expression, all of which are adored norms and values of normal society which a responsible government and its security institutions ought to respect and promote. This appears to be the contrary in South Sudan,”
Biel said.

He said a strong press is one of the pillars of rule of law abiding government, adding the government’s agents should stop intimidating, harassing and closing down such media houses in the country.

“SSHURSA condemns such act as an open display of dictatorship and fear for the public scrutiny relevant for building rule of law, democracy and good governance,” he said.

The human rights advocate urged the government to lift the ban imposed on The Citizen English daily newspaper and the Free Voice media institutions.

“The government must adhere to national and international obligations in observing freedom of press and expression as enshrined in the Constitution and other international human rights instruments to which South Sudan is a party by virtue of its United Nations membership,” he
added.

He also called upon media practitioners to stand firm in serving the public regardless of intimidations and harassments by the security agents and stressed the importance of suing in court of law individual security agents who violate the law.

He also called on the United Nations and international human rights groups to continue standing with South Sudanese media, to strongly hold accountable the South Sudanese government to respect its international obligations, one of which, he said, is a free press.

This is not the first time for the South Sudanese government to attack media outlets and freelance journalists in the country. There are a number of more radio and newspapers shut down by the security agents, a live example was Bakhita Radio and another catholic radio that operated in Rumbek.

A number of journalists from Sudan Tribune, Juba Monitor, The Citizen and other media houses have had suffered serious intimidations and harassments directly from officials in South Sudan.

(ST)

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