South Sudan deputy head of information commission quits

July 1, 2016 (JUBA) – The deputy head of information commission in South Sudan has submitted a resignation letter in protest of lack of political will and institutional support since formation of the body a year ago.

Moses Wol Deng Atak in a 24 June letter addressed to President Salva Kiir who appointed him on 22 September, 2015, informing him of his decision to vacate the office effective from 7 July 2016.

“I am saddened to bring to your attention my decision to vacate the office you appointed me into on 22nd September 2015. My resignation is necessitated by the absence of political will and institutional support to ensure commission’s independence,” the letter obtained by Sudan Tribune reads in part.

The official said he would continue to help media development in the country to serve the people even without official assignment.

“I will always do my best to contribute to the development of this nation, South Sudan,” he added.

The official thanked president Kiir for appointing him as the deputy head of the commission but said he would not continue to remain in the office in the light of lack of support.

The resignation of the top media official highlights the difficult environment in which media industry operates in the country. Practices of censorship and state control of media, coupled with the government’s intolerance for public criticisms of the authorities in power, present a formidable challenge to media independence in South Sudan.

Journalists and activists have repeatedly argued that the main pillars of journalism, as an industry in South Sudan, have been controlled by the state, representing a challenge to press freedom and resulted in the total lack of variety of ownership.

(ST)