SHACKLED MEDIA: THE SAD CASE OF SOUTH SUDAN
8 min readBy Peter Okello, Nairobi – Kenya
May 29, 2016 (SSB) — The chronological arrest, intimidation, threatening and harassment of journalist in South Sudan is a clear indication of violation of freedom of press, publications, access to internet and other media frontiers. On many occasions, Journalists live in the fear of being killed and indeed it is. Before the conflict erupted in Dec -15th 2013, media environments had been spoiled beyond imagination. Indisputably, journalists are at the forefront of political, economic and social transformation as well as in the struggle for transparency and accountability in our democratic process.
Little did our government know that media’s brings out what goes beneath the ground to light. Media is harmless and has an immense role to represent voiceless in the society. In this process, some journalists have disappeared mysteriously while others have been intimidated, jailed or killed in the course of their efforts to serve the public.
Most journalists in South Sudan had been in the jaws of government forces whose job is to monitor what journalists do. Despite those I had mentioned earlier, a lot of media specialize had escaped to exile for protection due to arbitrary arrest, killing and inhuman treatment by the government. The freedom of press as portrayed in the transitional constitution article 24 cap (1, 2 & 3) merely remains as written scripts which do not come to its implementation.
As it is always said “When respect for the right to freedom of expression comes under attack, all rights are at risk.” These rights are also echoed in the Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as African commission on human and people’s rights (ACHPR). Which states that: “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media of his choice” Well, let me tell you why South Sudan system of ruling is not democratic as it is portrayed in their constitution or perhaps call it dictatorship system of leadership.
South Sudan, “A media no go Zone”
October – 2015, CPJ – Committee to protect Journalist had published a report concerning countries in the world with highest number of impunity. South Sudan undoubtedly was numbered 5th in the list. The report indicates that this; new nation is “a no go zone” for media practitioners, which can literary mean that media as an entity will not thrift in her environs. Why South Sudan is on the impunity list? Here is the answer: On 25th January 2015, an unidentified gunman ambushed an official convoy in South Sudan’s Western Bahr al Ghazal state leading to the death of 5 journalists. This is a planned attacked. The convoy was set ablaze. On 19th August 2015, reporter Peter Julius Moi was shot at the back while humbly waking home while coming from his work place. The shooter was not identified and nobody was prosecuted for that case.
March 8th. 2016 journalist Joseph Afandi was jailed and badly beaten by National Security Service (NSS). The Arabic language daily Almashir was confiscated on 7th December citing that it had published reports critical of presidential and after which the editor and CEO were summoned for questioning by NSS (national Security Service) the same newspaper, English version was banned since 2011. The Editor in chief of independent Citizen Newspaper Nhial Bol was arrested on the same year 10th December. About 3,000 copies of newspaper were confiscated that very day of his arrest. 15000 copies of Juba Monitor latest newspaper were confiscated due to the publication of Federalism. From 18th March to 10th April – several newspapers reports were confiscated. Beautrice Murail of eye radio editor had to resign and asked to leave the country unconditional due to threat and harassments. This newspaper was seized more than eight times according to reports in various international media.
Over 5 cases of journalists summoned and arrested in juba and more than 10 cases outside the city were reported by journalists working in various media in Juba. Alternatively there are many unreported concerns in relation to journalists’ intimidations and killings within the country. According to CPJ research, “South Sudan is now the second worst impunity offender in Africa after Somalia.”
Media practitioners are operating in a climate of fear with threats to their personal safety. Journalists receiving threats through their cell phones hate messages and emails. Threats are also made against the media institutions and their assets and property seized
UNESCO, the United Nations specialized agency mandated to promote the free flow of ideas, and which has been at the forefront of defending journalists recently unveiled a detailed Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.“In recent years,” according to the Agency “there has been disquieting evidence of the scale and number of attacks against the physical safety of journalists and media workers as well as of incidents affecting their ability to exercise freedom of expression by threats of prosecution, arrest, imprisonment denial of journalistic access, and failures to investigate and prosecute crimes against them”
“The safety of journalists and the struggle against impunity for their killers are essential to preserve the fundamental right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedom of Expression is an individual right, for which no one should be killed, but it is also a collective right, which empowers populations through facilitating dialogue, participation and democracy, and thereby makes autonomous and sustainable development possible.”
THE TAINTED DEMOCRACY
The real meaning of democracy as it is commonly known as “Government of the people, by the people and for the people” has lose it sense as it is not the case for the South Sudan government. In South Sudan, “Democracy is of the government, by the government and for the government.” for the country to lead a transparent and accountable governing, they must as it is echoed on August 8th 1942 by a speech during All-India congress Committee (AICC) states that to “Embrace transparency….Nothing should be done secretly, this is an open rebellion and in this struggle, secrecy is a sin.”
Indians lost nothing. The price Gandhi had paid to India rather exclusively for Hindus or for Muslims was high. South Sudan had the same case. Dr John Garand De Mabior, a saint and a hero had laid the foundation and equally died for the rights and freedoms of South Sudanese’ young generation. I would equally reiterate that today, I solely pity the government as they ignorantly forget the press freedom and in return hurt the professionals. Media as the third strong body in the country is slowly losing their fate.
The meaning of democracy has lost its sense ever since the introduction of cruelty practices, inhumane harassment, force jailing and to the extent of serious intimidation had taken it routes in African youngest nation. Democracy will not survive or thrive where there is no human right all intact observed. The real fate of no existence of democracy in South Sudan can best be explained by civilians living in the all part of the country. The country is underdeveloped, low level of education, lack of infrastructures, no good hospitals, schools and socials amenities. These citizens who are marginalize and forgotten by the government would only narrate why they live in this country without adequate facilities.
The rule of democracy is working and seeing all citizens as equal as they are. It does not necessarily say that others are prefects than others. Democracy is for the majority but if the rule of majority always wins then minority will not be considered and they will always be the victim of negligence… a point of seeing all citizens equal and the country’s resources should equally be distributed. Other countries will make it easy to change for better but for the case of South Sudan, I doubt that. To be precise, it will take long for the new nation to change her ruling from “One Party dictatorship ruling to democracy.” What I would like to see and would eagerly wait to happen in South Sudan is to allow Journalists freely practice their loyal duties to the public without hindrances or arbitrary arrest. Journalists for Christ sake are the third most powerful body in the country, and if allowed to carry out their duties effectively, things will go on agreeably.
The United Nations Millennium Declaration made it clear that “Democracy and Press freedom” are inseparably connected and that their achievement will depend significantly on whether conflicts on media are ended and peaceful co-existence is possible. So Democracy and Press Freedom are two ways traffic, without which, it can’t never prosper. “To achieve this Republic of South Sudan must advance the causes of security, development and human rights together, otherwise none will succeed. Humanity will not enjoy security without Democracy, it will not enjoy development without security, and it will not enjoy either without respect for human rights and Press freedom”. Our Government therefore should refrain from imposing gags laws on media and formerly pass the Media bills for the best and development of our country… I rest my Case.
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