South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
April 2, 2011 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan security service seized the last issue of The Juba Post newspaper preventing its distribution in the capital of the South because it includes threats by a rebel spokesperson to attack Juba.
Printed in Khartoum due to a lack of printing facilities in the semi autonomous region, some 2500 copies of the independent newspaper are transported by airplane twice per week to Juba where they are distributed. The Juba Post has a circulation of 5000 copies.
In its latest issue, the newspaper published statements by the spokesperson of the rebel South Sudan Democratic Movement (SSDM) headed by the General George Athor. Dok James Pouk said they would launch heavy attack in Juba before the independence of the South Sudan in July.
On Wednesday security agents at Juba airport confiscated 2500 copies of the biweekly newspaper and briefly detained the distribution officer, the New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Saturday.
The Editor in Chief Michael Koma said he was summoned by the security service but he declined to appear. He also disclosed he lodged a complaint with the minister of information Barnaba Marial Benjamin who will meet him on Monday.
It is believed that the newspaper was confiscated for a headline of the story related to the rebel spokesperson “Athor plans to attack Juba”. The SSDM spokesperson says their group gathers all the rebel groups recently formed in the region and they plan to storm Juba.
Minister Barnaba reacted to the seizure saying he does not approve a ban of a newspaper because of its content.
“Hostile articles should be allowed to run, that is freedom of expression which we support,” the minister said in statements to Reuters on Saturday. He further said he was looking for more details about the Post’s allegations.
Southern Sudanese journalists who enjoy more freedom than their colleagues in the north, suffer however from the lack of legal framework organizing their profession and protecting them from harassment by security agents.
The editor of the Juba-based The Citizen was detained in the past for converging an alleged corruption scandal within the finance ministry. Last February Nhial Bol said agents of security service raided the office of the daily newspaper.
The Juba Post Editor in Chief and journalist Deng Atem Kuol were detained for nine hours last February for a news article alleging the Ivory Bank was facing financial difficulties.
Southerners overwhelmingly voted last January in favor of the independence of South Sudan. The event will be proclaimed formally on 9 July six years after the signing of a peace agreement in 2005 ending civil war between north and south Sudan.
During the interim period, the southern Sudan legislative assembly failed to adopt three bills related to the press: the Right to Information bill, the South Sudan Public Service Broadcasting bill, and the Independent Broadcasting Authority bill.
(ST)
Jeti
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Gen. George Athor’s SSDM/A to launch heavy attack on Juba before July 9th is impossible.
Garang
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Please Dr. Benjamin and the rest, live to you words and commitments. There is no need for you people to sing day and night about freedom of the press and expression while your security organs do contrary on the ground. Knowing how and where the paper got the news of the attack does not need confiscating it. The should politely called to give his sources of information if he or she is willing to do so.
Jongkuch
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
…but those journalists must know that freedom comes with responsibilities. you can’t give free reign to criminals to run their terror in what is expected to be a responsible reporting. We stand for free media. But this free media must also know it must serve the protection of that freedom. We can’t allow criminal network to be the one using newspapers in South Sudan.
Dinkawarrior
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
They are naives and they must be directed if they are out of minds. Those medias should know their government polices and the wills of public. If South Sudan is destroy where are you going to report? They must know the really issues rather then bribery, I doubt about those medias who want to Khartoum to play this kinds of dangerous game on us. I don’t believe Athor to attack Juba and less their hidings sorcery is waiting for them to come.
Athor must dig his own grave before July 9, 2011 and President Kiir must take care of business!
Wen De David Kuol
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
What is so called SSDM/A sound like Dr.Riek Former Party SSIM.all Rebelling Groups do not for SPLM, theirs ambition based only in GOSS and SPLA money looting.All those Parties will definitely fail in accomplished their Slogan. For sure the Security most cross-check what the media want to feed the public. Such inflammatory Heading cannot be edited even if there is Freedom of worship, Assembling, Speeches…………………….
Criminal speech shouldn’t be aired out; otherwise, we shall remain at higher risk coz of that information.
Journalists are professional in handling the media house. That is the serious Coup to topple the Legitimate Juba Government.
Fighting in Juba in what sense??? May be they want to sabotage the Freedom day because of theirs evil deeds. God will deal with them according, Athor and other Rebels group should know that killings innocents’ civilian mounted to SERIOUS WAR CRIME and ICC will step in and bring you and your men to BOOKS. WORLD is WATCHING at YOU all.
South Sudan is not a free ground mind you all. Kill them and you will also be killing in humiliated styles.
Better Surrender and we pray for forgiveness. President Kiir should be cautious on how things are going in Southern Sudan otherwise we shall be like SOMALIA with tribal leadership motive.
I pray for all have July 9 comes and see who has been betraying our Freedom in Southern Sudan. Close down those media houses threaten the State Security.
Information should not be so linens to Medias, otherwise all nonsense will be reported and fools will follow them.
ROSS oyee,
SPLM oyee,
KiirMayardit Oyee,
Pagan and SPLM Bureau Oyee
choldit
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Wen de David
You pple are silly like your tribal based leader. What is in common between SSIM of Dr.Riek, the dear son of ROSS, and SSDM of aimless greedy Athor?
Dr. Riek fought for South Sudan that you are enjoying loting its puplice fund now while Dr. Garang was fighting for failed “United New Sudan”. What part you can’t understand.
You people have no where to run that the goal is reached and you are tribalising the Nation who is going to support a tribal leaning leader in the South or the whole world? We have a lot to deal with rather than confisticating papers.
Murle Intellectual
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
For your: any comment, reply or retaliation here is my email [email protected]
Murle Intellectual
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
The message is missing. Here is the main point, we need freedom. No freedom No peace ONLY WAR. I have managed to arm recently, I encourage every freedom lover to do the same wherever you are. Keep your weapon loaded and ready for action any time. No need to go to bush
Chol Mading
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
It’s sad to learn this confiscation at Juba airport. Many of us believe that one of the SPLM objectives is freedom for all. What would make us different from Jalaba if we continue the same thing that we thought our gallant forces fought for? Dr. Barnaba should really take action and allow these distributions to happen. What he should do is question the source and scrutinizes it so the innocent civilians don’t believe it. It’s that simple.
Most of people in Juba have already heard the news and to do this will only make their allegations so strong. People would feels that our government is really hiding something from them. Therefore, GOSS should just layout the awareness that these people are inflecting fear ahead of our glorious day and no way it gonna happen. Let the freedom of the press ring in beautiful South Sudan!
Chol Mading
Bungachier 50
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
You Guys!
Don’t condemn the security personnels who confiscated these News papers blindly.
Yajamah!!.. every thing has it’s own time. These are all the tricks of the Arabs to destabilize South Sudan by all means.
Brothers and sisters who comment here, if you hear any thing connected with Northern Sudan, think twice before you open your mouth to say any thing.
The news papers/Medias are business sectors and can report any thing that comes across or fabricate lies as long as they will get “MONEY”. After all, none of these News papers are South Sudanese owned according to what I know.
CHUOL RUEI
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Bravo, Wen de david your are obsolutely right for your statement you have commented concerning aimless vision Athor who fought for nothing, while Dr. Riek’s vision is at hand now that we are enjoying to today we the southerners.
We the southerners we should appreciate our son Dr.Riek for his contribution in the independent of south sudan that was our destiny now eventhough he jioned SPLA/M his mission was clear upto now Idon’t appreciate Athor he is malatia guys having no mission.
Wen De David Kuol
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
No a matter of where to ran but objectives of the struggle. What do Riek with Lam and Athor convey to Southerners.
Just to let us fails and they continued to blame Dr. Garang for Bringing Peace to Sudan. New Sudan was a best ideas but Riek and Lam works against it. Otherwise, issue of Abyei couldn’t drag us back to War with Northerners.
Kiir is transparent and kin Leader, He doesn’t rush with fresh ideas as Dr.Riek did.
I know Your Uncle may be a leader with time but awaiting ICC cases to answers in a court. Spreading lies wouldn’t helps.
pasquale
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Dear / All
I believe in the freedom of expression which many countries don’t respect not only the new country Republic of South Sudan.
Not any news that is posted is true and if not all every individual on the face of the earth knows that.
Do we know why Athor or any other defected Generals from the SPLM wanted to attack Juba?
It is my personal view as some one put the Arabs in Khartoum don’t want us to celebrate our independence peacefully and they use all means to leave us always in the state of fear that something might happen.News paper is a means that can spread the news very fast and it is very dangerous.So let us keep our unity now till July 9 and if there is any conflict we can resolve it as people of one independent nation and reach the solution acceptable by all.
Bol Deng
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Dear Southerners,
SPLM intelligence (CIA) are monitoring those defectors closely.
We should not worry about this rebels because they will not attempt to attack.Let them make noise though the media with their nonsense.
Worldwide, you can be arrested if you work against the government.
If you posters think that working against the Republic of South Sudan is a freedom of expression,then let me tell you that you have missed the core values of politics.
What do you think when you wrote against the government and you started to come distributed them out to the public that you are against.
This is another lessons that you should know before attempting to talk politics. Thanks
kuac Agol
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Dear.Choldit.
You are supporting tribalism rather than telling that it should not be done though to be very brief about the article that has posted as threat to South Sudan government.
Riek should be the coordinator for those threats in South Sudan for the clear reason that he wanted to be President of South sudan in that way somebody in the government may say that he wanted to be president of south sudan because he fitted to be president why not Riek alone.
To me everybody is qualify to president and Kiir allow you to enjoy the presidenthood and you too can give the same chance to the next qualifiers and presidency seat can go round and round untill it reached Athor.
Please Nuer, Bor ,Dinka and Dor rebelling ever now and then could not solve the problems of south sudan ,move from away from problematic to deplomatic then soutj sudan will be democratic country.
To Kiir supporters i beg your pardon to allow me to say sth briefly to you brothers and sisters ,how many states in Northern sudan fought with SPLA/SPLM as rebell and they are not defeated and captured please do not remember those who rebelled against SPLA/SPLM of their being strong in the Army the tactics they were using in the army.
Take them like you are fighting with LRA who can not spend three hours in south sudan they come to parts of southern sudan.
choldit
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Kuac Agol,
The way things are in South Sudan is draging everyone in to wrong way. Believe me if you are in juba you should tell me that the GOSS favour Dinka than other tribes just coz they are tribemen to Kirr. Why should other South Sudanese let them get away with that? Is it coz of their false accusions that leveled on other tribes?
Pple are move on their lands for oil exploration without compensation, 2% oil revinue to oil producing states(why we left 25% negotiated by Riek in 1997? is it coz Dinka does not produce enough in thier areas?)
How about the vital ministerial poses that Kirr gives to Dinka sons alone?
IT IS NOT BAD TO RESPOND IN KIND, MATE!!!!!!!!!
Jada Lotole
South Sudan confiscates newspaper for report on rebel group
Hey !
If not for Juba Post who could have nkown that Athor the war monger is planning to launch an attack on the South Sudan City -Juba . Juba Post writes issues behind issuse which ought to be appreciated by everyone who nkows that ” Every day is a School day ”
Cheers Juba Post ! When talk the truth, this same truth will always set you free !!!!!!!!!!!