The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) has condemned the closure of three media institutions in South Sudan saying that the move is “a violation of media laws which guaranteed the freedom of expression, press and the media.”
National Security personnel this week closed media houses The Citizen, Al Rai and Free Voice South Sudan. Also affected were the journalists of Voice of America, whose offices are located on the premises of Free Voice.
AMDISS, an association of media houses, condemned the move in a press release dated 5 August in the name of Chairman Alfred Taban, calling the closure of the media houses “a clear indication of press censorship.”
“AMDISS therefore, urges the authorities involved to respect the media laws and allow the Media to exercise their watch dog role,” the statement reads.
“The association also calls upon the Minister of Information to speed up the formation of the Media Authority which will be the one to regulate the Media.”
Separately, Nhial Bol, who is Editor in Chief of The Citizen and also AMDISS Secretary, told Deutsche Welle news service that the authorities failed to produce any letter authorizing the shutdown of his newspaper.
He described three areas in which the government is concerned to censor the press: “Actually there are three areas. One is about the government’s human rights’ record, the other is about the government’s position on corruption and the third one is about insecurity and the personality of the president. That is what they are not allowing.”
“The rule of law is no longer there,” said Nhial.
File photo: A Sudanese journalist during protests against censorship in Khartoum 2008