‘Journalists At Risk Ahead Of Unity Government’ Amnesty sounds Alarm On Media Harassment
The Emblem of Amnesty International (File/Supplied/SSNN).
Nov 2nd, 2019 (SSNN)-Following an incident in which a senior SSPDF military officer and Director of Information and Public Relations, General Malak Ayuen violently assaulted two female journalists during a military briefing by President Salva Kiir Mayardit on 31 October 2019, the rights group, Amnesty International strongly condemns the ongoing harassment of journalists in South Sudan and calls on Kiir’s administration to desist from suppressing the media.
“This shocking incident is part of a sustained effort by the South Sudanese authorities for years now to restrict the right to freedom of expression and media freedom including through arbitrary arrests of journalists, suspension of media organizations and the revocation of accreditation for foreign correspondents deemed critical of the government,” said Amnesty International in a press statement.
Seif Magango, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, pointed out that, “The authorities’ suppression of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom ahead of the formation of the long-awaited transitional government of national unity is deeply troubling.”
The rights group urges the South Sudan government to refrain from harassing local and foreign journalists.
“The Government of South Sudan must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right to freedom of expression and media freedom in the country.”
Adding that, “The authorities must stop harassing, intimidating and attacking journalists and media practitioners and promptly, thoroughly and effectively investigate allegations of attacks against journalists and bring to justice anyone suspected to be responsible in fair trials.”
Amnesty International says it has documented the following incidents in the past.
Background
- On 30 October 2019, the South Sudanese authorities confiscated the accreditation and work permit of Associated Press’ correspondent, Sam Mednick. The South Sudan Media Authority said they revoked her accreditation on 23 October because of an article she wrote about tensions in the capital Juba ahead of the formation of the unity government.
- In July, Michael Rial Christopher, editor of the Al-Watan newspaper, was arbitrarily arrested and detained for over a month, widely believed to be over an article he published about the protests in Sudan.
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