Confusion over arrested journalist in Bahr el-Ghazal

By Ngor Arol Garang

July 21, 2010A (WUNROK) — Officials from the government of southern Sudan have issued contradictory statements over whether a journalist from El Shuruuk newspaper had been arrested in Aweil in the state of Bahr El Ghazal.

Bona Makuac Mawien, minister of information and communications in the state government has denied that a journalist had been arrested in Bahr el Ghazal.
“We are not holding any journalist. I am here on the ground in Aweil and I am confirming that we do not have any journalist under arrest here,” he said.

Makuac said the state government invited journalists to cover the recently concluded north-south border conference in Aweil and questioned why the government would have wanted to arrest them.

However, Mustafa Biong Majak Kuol, Director General in the government of southern Sudan’s ministry of information, told the Sudan Tribune that Makuac had confirmed the arrest to him in an earlier communication.

“When I talked to northern Bahr el Ghazal State minister of information, he confirmed the arrest. They are in the state,” he said.

Security personnel in both Juba and Wau have said that they have had no reports of any journalist being detained.

The confusion comes as the media advisory group for the semi-autonomous region of southern Sudan on Wednesday issued a statement calling for press freedom in order to allow the free movement of journalists for more coverage in the region.

While statement from the media advisory group did not condemn the arrest, it said that the arrest shows that the government that is seeking to restrict the press to the role of government messengers.

David Wilson, a freelance journalist in Juba said the southern government sees journalists as enemies rather than partners. “Our government does not consider journalists as partners. Journalists are viewed as archenemies and this is why media law is still not passed,” he said.

(ST)