South Sudanese authorities should immediately unblock the websites of at least four media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement yesterday.
Juba-based journalist Ngor Garang told CPJ that public web users in large portions of South Sudan have been unable to access the news sites of Radio Tamazuj, the Paris-based Sudan Tribune, as well as the popular blogs Nyamilepedia and Paanluel Wel.
Authorities blocked access to the sites on Monday for publishing content that was "subversive," Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth told CPJ.
"Censoring news and intimidating journalists is becoming increasingly common in South Sudan," said CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney. "The government should immediately unblock all news sites and blogs."
South Sudan's government has grown more hostile towards the media since civil war broke out in 2013. CPJ said it has found that journalists working in the country fear losing their liberty or their lives if they publish critical content.