A South Sudanese activist for media rights has lashed out at the National Security Service for censoring Juba Monitor newspaper, calling it ‘barbaric’ and equating it to the behaviour of the government in north Sudan.
The Catholic Radio Network on Thursday quoted the director of the Agency for Independent Media (AIM), David De Dau, as saying that National Security personnel stopped the circulation of Juba Monitor Newspaper on Wednesday.
He described this move as “barbaric” and argued that no government security agency should decide to close a radio station or newspaper, but rather only a court of law has the power to order any closure.
He said this was “Sudan’s behaviour that forced South Sudanese to take arms against the regime,” while praising Juba Monitor as a “moderate” media house that both appreciates and criticizes the government.
CRN further quotes Juba Monitor Editorial Director Anna Nimiriano Nunu as saying that Monday security personnel went to their office and asked one of them to go with them to the National Security premises.
She added that security officers accused the newspaper of belonging to the opposition and its staff as opposition agents.
CRN reports, “She said the security organs ordered them not to take news from websites including Sudan Tribune and Radio Tamazuj, an instruction they refused.”
Alfred Taban, the editor of Juba Monitor confirmed to Radio Tamazuj on Friday that “we were prevented from printing for one day” after security agents came to their office and said they were not happy with some of their stories.
“They mentioned the number of articles from Radio Tamazuj and Sudan Tribune,” said Taban.
He said that the paper intends to keep reporting its own stories but noted “we shall not avoid” re-printing stories from other sources as well.
Radio Tamazuj has encouraged print newspapers in Juba to freely re-print stories published on its website.
File photo: Juba Monitor editor-in-chief Alfred Taban