S. Sudan security accused of undermining press freedom

August 23, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese journalists have accused security agents of undermining freedom of press and expression by dictating on the content of the newspapers and removing articles at printing facilities.

The Association of Media Development in South Sudan (ADMISS) said officers from the country’s national security service are deployed at printing facilities in the capital Juba to physical remove news and opinion articles critical of President Salva Kiir’s government.

“Removal of articles constitutes censorship and repression of the work of media in South Sudan,” said Alfred Taban, the chairperson of AMDISS in a public statement on Tuesday.

Taban, also the editor of the Juba Monitor, said six articles have been removed from his paper and Nation Mirror in the last thirty days.

“It amounts to undermining freedom of expression and media that have been enshrined in the transitional constitution of South Sudan and the South Sudan Media Act 2013,” he added.

The Nation Mirror said an article on reappearance of former first vice president Riek Machar in DR. Congo was removed last week before publication, forcing the paper to shelved Friday’s issue.

(ST)