![South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit speaking during an even at the state house at unknown date. [Photo by unknown]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Salva_Kiir_23052017.jpg?resize=850%2C542&quality=89&ssl=1)
The warning came from SPLM Secretary-General Peter Lam Both, who accused opposition elements and critics of misusing social media to spread rumors targeting senior party officials.
The latest controversy stemmed from online claims that presidential envoy Benjamin Bol Mel had been sworn in as acting president, allegedly replacing Kiir.
A separate viral post shared a letter purportedly signed by Bol Mel ordering an audit of the first family’s accounts, which SPLM officials dismissed as fake.
“SPLM supports freedom of expression and speech, but when abused, it becomes a crime. We have the capacity to shut down social media in South Sudan,” Both said at a press conference in Juba on Friday.
He accused critics of tarnishing the party’s image, warning that if misuse of social media continues, “we will support those who have the power to shut it down.”
Both sought to downplay concerns about censorship, claiming the SPLM’s intention was to protect the country’s stability rather than suppress dissent, invoking examples of limited social media access in other regions, including China, as justification for potential restrictions.
This is not the first time South Sudanese officials have floated the idea of restricting social media.
In March 2022, information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth issued a similar threat, warning that platforms such as Facebook and Twitter might be shut down if criticisms of the government and its leaders persisted.
“Use social media to promote peace and harmony and not to spread hate. Otherwise, if the government feels it can’t control it, we will be forced to shut down, so use social media to promote peace,” Makuei said at the time.
Both officials’ comments reflect growing unease within the government over the power of online platforms to amplify dissent in a country grappling with chronic instability and weak democratic institutions.
Social media has become a vital space for South Sudanese citizens to express frustrations over corruption, poor governance, and ongoing insecurity.
Civil society leaders say the SPLM’s repeated threats against social media raise concerns about the erosion of freedoms in a country that has experienced intermittent conflict since its independence in 2011.
Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) noted in a statement to Sudans Post that shutting down social media could further isolate South Sudan from the global community and deepen discontent among its citizens.
“Restricting online platforms would not only silence critical voices but also set a dangerous precedent for suppressing civic space in South Sudan,” said the Juba-based civil society activist, warning that South Sudan “risk losing support of its western friends.”
South Sudan’s government has been criticized for its handling of dissent, with human rights organizations highlighting crackdowns on journalists, activists, and opposition figures.
Shutting down social media, analysts warn, could exacerbate these tensions and further tarnish the SPLM’s reputation internationally.
While the government frames these potential measures as necessary for national stability, critics argue they risk pushing the country toward deeper authoritarianism, stifling public debate and accountability at a time when the country is still recovering from the scars of civil war.
While Kiir’s party stopped short of enacting these threats, many believes that these repeated warnings of censorships signal an uncertain future for free speech and open dialogue in one of the world’s youngest nations.
