Activists warn media censorship may contribute to uninformed citizenry ahead of elections

JUBA, FEBRUARY 28, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan activists on Monday expressed disappointments over continued cyberattacks on media houses, saying press freedom in the world’s youngest country is critical in the ongoing transition and that censorship will result to uniformed citizenry ahead of elections.

Over the last two weeks, two media houses – Sudans Post and Radio Tamazuj – were attacked by unknown hackers. The two media houses were unable to access their social media accounts sparking public outcry against escalating censorship in South Sudan.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the resumption of Sudans Post publication on social media, and said jeopardizing media’s work is illegal and termed the hackers as enemies of media freedom.

“CEPO welcomes the resumption of Sudans Post Facebook page after having been hacked. The act of hacking social media platforms is a crime and unacceptable. The perpetrators of hacking social media like Facebook page of Sudans Post and Twitter handle of Radio Tamazuj website are the real enemies of freedom of expression and the rights of access to information,” Yakani told Sudans Post on Monday evening.

“Social media platforms of reliable media outlets are accurate sources of access to information for public knowledge and public governance engagement. It is illegal for any entity to attempt to block a social media platform of any reliable measure outlets such as Sudans Post and Radio Tamazuj,” Yakani stressed.

The prominent activist further said that CEPO “will be standing firm for the respect of freedom of expression and right of access to information in South Sudan and especially in the forthcoming political transitional activities of constitutional making, conduct of elections and transitional justice.”

For his part, Bol Deng Bol, Chairperson of Jonglei Civil Society Network (JCSN) and Executive Director of INTREPID South Sudan (ISS), decried continued government media censorship, saying that the government is instead supposed to protect the media as provided for in the South Sudan interim constitution.

“It is imperative that Press Freedom and Independent media are protected by the Government from Censorship which is often orchestrated by the same authorities who are obligated by Law to instead protect it,” he told Sudans Post this morning.

“A number of Media outlets that have, at some points faced hacking of their online platforms have attributed this act to the State security apparatuses. This is part of a wider censorship of the mass Media in the Country. It is an often under the Laws of the land and has to STOP,” he added.

The activist warned that continued government censorship of the media may results in uninformed citizenry with the country heading to its first elections in 2024 since obtaining independence from Sudan in July 2011.

“Currently, Citizens are looking forward to participate in the process leading up to General Elections, in accordance to the Peace Roadmap. But, with the current challenges the Media face, I am afraid, their participation will be an uninformed one, leaving the majority susceptible to manipulations and misinformation as many losses independence or coerced to forfeit the Media space,” Bol said.

“I am therefore, urging all levels of the Unity Government to open up, tolerate, respect and protect Media Freedom and Independence. This will have a positive impact on the Civic and Political Spaces across the Country and hence improved quality of the public participation in political and social spheres,” he added.