A newspaper columnist and reporter for a daily South Sudanese newspaper was detained today in Juba and held for five hours before being released.
Kiden James, a writer focused on health issues and local affairs in Juba, among other issues, contributes to Al Maugif, the main Arabic daily newspaper in South Sudan since the collapse of Al Masier earlier this year.
According to Kiden, she recently wrote a column in Al Maugif about the eviction of shopkeepers from Juba market.
The secretary of the Mayor of Juba Council then replied in writing to her article in another newspaper, Al Rai. In today’s edition of Al Mawqif, Kiden wrote another comment replying to this criticism.
After her release this afternoon she said, “The National Security took me to the main National Security building which is known as ‘amara,’ at around 11:00.”
She said she was questioned about her writing before being released at 4:30 p.m.
After being released Kiden said, “Now I am free… our pens will not be broken and our keyboards will not be wrecked as long as we are alive.”