South Sudan bans 20 foreign journalists

By JOSEPH ODUHA
    JUBA SOUTH SUDAN,          

The South Sudan Media Authority (SSMA) has banned 20 foreign journalists from entering or operating in the country for what it termed “unsubstantiated and unrealistic stories”.

The chairman of the regulatory agency, Elijah Alier, said most of the affected journalists had often reported stories with the potential to incite hate and violence among the South Sudanese. Mr Alier, who did not disclose any names, said the agency had issued over 200 permits to foreign journalists and media houses to operate in the country..

He said some of the journalists had neither reliable sources nor specific geographical bases, factors he blamed for the claimed inaccuracies in their reports.

The journalists, Mr Alier said, had filed stories that insulted or degraded South Sudan and its people.






















In Summary

South Sudan Media Authority Elijah Alier, who did not disclose any names, said the agency had issued over 200 permits to foreign journalists and media houses to operate in the  country. South Sudanese veteran journalist Alfred Taban on Tuesday called for the dissolution of the Media Authority.   South Sudan has become increasingly dangerous for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.



INCITE VIOLENCE
Their reports, Mr Alier went on, sometimes incited violence rather than encouraging the public to embrace peace. He added that some of the reports had violated the provisions of the Media Authority Act.

“Issues to do with hate speech, incitement to violence and disinformation are not acceptable in the context of our law. Some of the reporters have not even been seen in South Sudan, you need to respect the country,” Mr Alier was quoted saying by a local radio in Juba on Wednesday evening.

He said the agency had no problem with journalists reporting on facts, adding that unverified information that often led to panic and heightened instability was unacceptable.“Reporting about the humanitarian situation is acceptable. Such reports are helping South Sudan as they inform the world and the donor community,” he said.  South Sudanese veteran journalist Alfred Taban on Tuesday called for the dissolution of the Media Authority, saying it was adding to the suffering of journalists and facilitating their intimidation, arbitrary arrests and harassment.

WORST COUNTRY

 Mr Taban, the founder of the juba monitor  daily newspaper, said in his opinion piece that the Media Authority was an arm of the security agency, which had made the work of journalists and respect for press freedom impossible. South Sudan has become increasingly dangerous for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Several journalists have died in line of duty in the young nation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SPLA IO commander in Tombura apologizes for crime

Image
An SPLA IO commander in the former Western Equatoria has apologized to the people of Tombura for crimes his forces may have committed during the conflict in the state. Tombura is one of the states that have been affected by the conflict, especially following the renewed clashes in the July of 2016 According to UN, the conflict between the government forces and opposition groups affected local people, mostly in the Equatoria and Upper Nile regions. There have been reports of targeting of civilians, rape, abduction and displacement in the states, including Tombura, Amadi, Gbudue, and Maridi. “I want to tell you that when we were fighting, so many people were killed, children died, men died and women died too,” SPLA IO commander, James Nando confessed. Commander James then asked the inhabitant for forgiveness: “I stand in front of you today here to tell you that what had happen, forgive those of us who went to the bush.” He went on to say that “it was not our i...
Read more

Machar not ready to return to Juba in May.

Image
South Sudan’s former First Vice President, and leader of the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar, is reportedly not ready to return to Juba in May as part of a peace agreement signed six months ago. President Salva Kiir Mayardiit and the opposition leader signed the deal on September 12th in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa following months of tough negotiations in the Sudanese capital Khartoum by their delegations who only had an August 5th dateline to reach a preliminary deal. The agreement, also know as the Revitalized ARCSS, set forth a 8-months pre-transitional period within which security arrangements and relevant preparations for the would-be transitional government. The pre-transitional period ends exactly on April 12th 2019 and the unity government is supposed to be in place by that date according to the agreement. Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Sunday evening, a senior opposition official who maintained the condition of anonymity said Machar ...
Read more

Museveni’s advise to Kiir: Colonial boundaries the best option, but prioritize citizens’ welfare

Image
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has advised South Sudanese leaders not be consumed by fights over boundaries, saying they should instead channel their efforts towards improving the welfare and incomes of the citizens. President Museveni made the remarks on Thursday, during a meeting with President Salva Kiir at the state house in Entebbe – Uganda. In the bilateral meeting, President Kiir briefed his host on the progress of implementation of the Peace Agreement, indicating that it was largely on course with the exception of a few issues that needed to be resolved. One such issue President Kiir mentioned to his counterpart was the disagreement over some state boundaries. In response, President Museveni said South Sudanese leaders should not be fighting over state boundaries; but rather focus on eradicating poverty in the country. “It does not matter what state you are in. It won’t change much if you are poor. What is important is to work towards eradicating po...
Read more