The South Sudan National Police Service has a new spokesperson named in changes announced publicly on Wednesday, August 21.
Col. John Kassara Koang took over from Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin Boula, who was transferred to Community Policing as Director.
Speaking to reporters in Juba during the handover at the Traffic Police Service Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Justin described Col. John Kassara Koang as an experienced police officer who worked in several places in South Sudan, including Upper Nile, Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states, before he was transferred to the headquarters in Juba to the new position.
Justin lauded his cooperation with journalists and urged the newly appointed police spokesperson to do the same.
“To be frank, these people (the journalists) have been cooperating with me and with the Directorate of Moral Orientation as media in a very nice way. And we have been working together all this time, day and night. I must thank them and appreciate what they have been doing to help our public know exactly what is happening in the country, especially about police activities, crimes, situations, and so on,” Justin said.
“I expect the same cooperation and even more to continue with the new brother, Col. John, because, as you know, our police are, by law, 24/7 on duty. As usual, you have been calling me all the time. The same will continue. John will be able to listen to you anytime and answer any questions or calls,” he added.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. James Dak, the Deputy Police spokesperson, said the media plays a huge role in developing and maintaining security in any country. He said the new police spokesperson will be able to provide the needed information to the public through the media.
“So we are going to cooperate with him, we shall be with him, and we are going to be of help in case of any needs,” Dak said.
For his part, Col. John Kassara Koang, the new Police Spokesman, appreciated the Inspector General of Police for trusting him with the responsibility, pointing out that the new job will contribute to his personal development in his career.
“We need to know that security is the work of all of us. Therefore, to protect our citizens and their properties, we need collaborative work regarding information sharing between the citizens, the South Sudan National Police Service and media houses on criminal activities that sometimes happen in some residential areas,” he said.
“Media has a significant impact on shaping public opinion and influencing policy decisions; therefore, our cooperation as police and the media is highly needed,” Kassara concluded.