Activist Yakani warns exchange of hate speech on social media inciting more violence

JUBA, JANUARY 7^TH 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s prominent activist Edmund Yakani has warned that exchange of hate speech on social media is dramatically exposing vulnerable communities to violence and called on government authorities at both national and state levels to provide remedy.

The comments by award-wining activist comes as ethnic and communal violence is raging across the world’s youngest country with most recent attack being in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity States.

In the statement extended to Sudans Post just now, Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said the civil society watchdog is concerned about the use of social media promote hate speech in the wake of the escalating violence across the country.

“The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) is strongly concerned about the ongoing exchange of hate speech on social media which is fueling ethnic and communal violence as well as human rights abuses in the country,” the statement reads in part.

The activist warned that underestimation of the use of social media to promote hate speech by authorities is raising risk of attacks against vulnerable communities and pointed to the recent violence against farmers in Central Equatoria state in which cattle herders from Jonglei State attacked villagers.

“More violence and human rights abuse will be triggered by the mismanagement and underestimating of the concerns that the CEPO has raised because trading accusation in public space on social media is raising frictions for example between farmers and cattle herders,” Yakani said.

“The communal violence has now gone far in involving politicians and military personnel who are taking sides with their communities against others. Various statements on varies media platforms must stop to avoid further incitement,” the activist stressed.

The prominent activist further called on the state and national political leadership “to intervene on the trend of violence quickly before it is too late.”