Condemnation of the Closure of the Four Online News Websites in South Sudan
By Eligo Dak Buoth, Nairobi, Kenya
July 21, 2017 (SSB) — We would like to vent our ire on the recent autocratic executive order to block the online news websites for the mother Sudan tribune.com, Nyamilepedia.com PaanluelWel.com and Radio Tamazuj.com
On 18th July, 2017, President Salva Kiir’s regime via her mouthpiece Mr. Michael Makuei issued a draconian decree barring the aforementioned revolutionary online websites saying without any slightest feeling of shame that they are becoming hostile to them, which in our view is untrue.
This is another major blow on public informants and an act of disservice to our people. We felt very unhappy, and we condemned the decision makers and their decision altogether with contempt it deserves. If they have functional ears for hearing they should reverse this intolerable decision.
However, it is now our turns to defend the defenders of public good because we are one another’s keeper excerpt these SPLM assailants. President Gen. Salva Kiir and his surrogates are just bitter with the unstoppable and consistent wind of change that keeps roaring like lion in greater Upper Nile, Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal regions.
We have always whispered to them time and again that truth is bitter, and that change whose time has come cannot be prevented. African proverb says ‘‘you cannot change the wind but change the scent’’.
If the kitchen, the State House alias ‘J1’ has becomes hot and smoky to an extent that they can’t see beyond their noses, the best option to opt for is to quit now failure to which our independence risk miscarriage.
We would also like to state herewith without fear of contradiction that the fundamental human rights and freedoms which include inter alia: right of expression, life and conscience are the inherent freedoms that we cannot plead for because without them life loses its essence.
In view of the foregoing stance, we ought to demand, defend and safeguard our civil liberties from any persons who snatched them by force notwithstanding his status in the society.
This absurd move is knee-jerk reaction on their part to say the least. What they alleged as hostile is nothing but a blatant attack to our freedom of expression and access to information which are our inherent rights granted by law and other international statutes.
We wonder how these news websites become hostile by merely delivering and informing the general public about the goings-on in the country. Unbeknown to these misguided lots is that these are not hostile but honorary websites created to eradicate illiteracy through uncensored and informative news.
These online websites are the light through which we see. Hence, blocking them is akin to trampling on our rights as free speakers, and this cannot be condoned.
We would to reiterate that this autocratic decision is slap on our faces and sheer affront to our civil liberties that we fought and aspire for. In other words, blocking these websites is like masking the faces of innocent Sudan Sudanese by discouraging reading culture and encouraging boredom, illiteracy and conflict in South Sudan considering that idle minds are devil workshops.
The Paris-based Sudan tribune is an independent, balance and fair media that is trusted by South Sudanese across divides. Many of us grew up knowing Sudan tribune.com as our mother of all credible insights. It has been tested, tried and trusted as a reliable source of information.
Relatively, Nyamilepedia.com and Paanluel wel.com and Radio Tamazuj websites often provided us with raw news meant for public consumption. These are free and indigenous websites created to nurture the fledgling democracy and to enhance political pluralism, justice and the rule of law in South Sudan.
Nyamilepedia and Paanluel Wel are the mediums where we have learned to read and write our stories on daily basis. In fact they have taught us the culture of reading and literary discourse in South Sudan.
Moreover, we ought to know that this intolerable decision bears sinister plan in it. In a dictatorship, tyrants often create fictitious enemies with a view to clamp down dissenting voices and or launch a coup against the law. As such, they cannot issue this order without evil plan attached to it.
We are very worried of what this inept regime would do next. Therefore, we should be mindful that blocking these websites is one thing, and what they would do after is another one that needs counter strategy.
We are not surprise by this move because it is long overdue. President Salva Kiir’s regime is always wrong on anything its does. Over the years, they endeavor to tread backward in speed.
It is common knowledge that South Sudan has only one analogue Television station, SSBC, and if they succeeded in blocking these online websites, it means the country will again dive deep in the dark.
In that regard, we will dig ourselves deep in the trenches in defense of our civil liberties for we vowed to reject and resist any tendency of sliding back to dictatorship in South Sudan.
The SPLM leaders have long made their stance clear that they shall make our lives miserable, and we cannot allow their ignoramus assertion to come to pass.
The author, Eligo Dak Buoth, is the chairman of the Congress of South Sudanese Patriots for Peace and Reconciliation, a Kenyan-based civil society organization. He can be reached via his email: Eligodak Bos <eligodakb@yahoo.com>
The opinion expressed here is solely the view of the writer. The veracity of any claim made is the responsibility of the author, not PaanLuel Wël: South Sudanese Bloggers (SSB) website. If you want to submit an opinion article or news analysis, please email it to paanluel2011@gmail.com. SSB do reserve the right to edit material before publication. Please include your full name, email address and the country you are writing from.
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