Media body orders probe into abduction of S. Sudanese scribe
March 12, 2022 (NAIROBI/JUBA) – South Sudanese authorities should conduct a swift and credible investigation into the recent abduction of journalist Emmanuel Woja and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Friday
On March 2, Woja, a news editor with Eye Radio, was reportedly abducted by unknown men who accused him of supporting a rebel group operating in the southern Equatoria region and supporting a coalition of activists who have called for the resignation of South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir.
That night, the men drove Woja to a forested area in the outskirts of Juba, where he said he believed they planned to kill him, but a gunfight erupted between his captors and unidentified attackers, and he escaped on foot.
“South Sudanese journalist Emmanuel Woja is lucky to have survived a traumatic kidnapping which seems to have been retaliation for his work and critical opinions,” said CPJ’s sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo.
“Authorities should conduct a credible investigation into this abduction and ensure that all the perpetrators are held to account. South Sudan’s government needs to deliver justice for Woja and send a strong message that authorities prioritize the safety of journalists,” she added.
Woja told CPJ that he could not identify any of his captors. He said they first drove him around for about 40 minutes, and then switched him to another vehicle that drove while playing a siren. Woja’s captors moved him to two different buildings, and in the latter interrogated him without the blindfold.
The journalist further told CPJ that he denied supporting any rebels and said that he had a right to express his opinions on social media. The abductors reportedly forced the Eye Radio scribe to drink an unidentified substance.
“That walk into the bush—I think these people wanted to kill me,” Woja told CPJ, adding, “I really thought they [abductors] would kill me.”
However, when contacted by CPJ over the incident, South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth said he was not aware of Woja’s case, and referred CPJ to the Media Authority for comment.
CPJ called Media Authority Managing Director Elijah Alier who declined to comment, saying he was not familiar with CPJ and he could not speak to “strangers.”
A decade after its independence from neighbouring Sudan, South Sudan still struggles to address media challenges. Last year, the young nation ranked 139 out of 180 countries on the world press freedom index.
(ST)