Watchdog threatens legal action against individuals inciting ethnic violence on social media

JUBA, JANUARY 8^TH 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s civil society watchdog, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has threatened to take individuals promoting hate speech on social media to court and warned that continued government silence as hate speech threatens to incite more violence is undermining public peace.

In a statement, CEPO called on the transitional government in Juba to take measures against promotion of hate and hostile propaganda on social media and warned that continued government silence despite the cases of hate speech being promoted by well-known personalities may lead to escalation of violence and possibly gross human rights violations.

“CEPO is urging the government to speak on the growing hate speech and hostile propaganda among the South Sudanese in various social media platforms and press statements issued such as of Jonglei ECSS internal church crisis between the two conflicting bishops and others. The silence of the government over the concern of growing hate speech and hostile propaganda may make some take the law into their hands and commit gross human rights violations,” the statement said.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO said that social media platforms are increasingly becoming grouping hubs for tribalism which he said may further complicate efforts to bring South Sudan – Africa’s newest country – together after several years of deadly ethnic conflict that has killed at least half a million citizens.

“Abuse of social media is becoming a daily routine for some individuals including on clubhouse where some grouping is using to championing hate speech and hostile propaganda against sole communities, ethnicities and tribes. Some of he hates speeches and hostile propaganda in the social media platforms are pushing communities to engage in ethnic targeted violence,” Yakani said.

Yakani further revealed that CEPO is “preparing to undertake legal actions against those individuals or groups of persons championing the hate speech and hostile propaganda in social media. The intend spread of hate speech and hostile propaganda in various social media platforms by some individuals and groups of persons is totally unaccepted and it constitute factors that trigger action for commitment of gross human rights violations in South.”

“CEPO is urging the UN human rights commission on South Sudan, UN Guam rights council to constitute an investigation committee on raise of hate speech and hostile propaganda among South Sudanese. The report of UNMISS to the UN security council should have section on hate speech and hostile propaganda,” he stressed.

He further pointed out that the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization is “is a national institution for human rights, protection of civilians, peace building and application of rule of law should strongly speak to this trend of growing hate speech and hostile propaganda in social media platforms.”