South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Michael Makuei has warned media not to cross red lines and instructed them to re-register with the ministry. He made these remarks at a press conference in Juba today after summoning local media houses for coverage. The transcript that follows is verbatim:

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Ladies and gentlemen of the press, yes, I called this press conference on an important issue.  It is something to do with the media as such. For that matter I thought it appropriate to invite all the media houses to attend so that we clarify some of the issues, and also so that we also agree on the way forward. On the 3^rd of November in Juba a report was written and sent to the Sudan Tribune website and it reads as follows:

Medical reasons prompted South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to visit South Africa on Saturday contrary to state media reports that he was destined for Kenyan capital Nairobi. The state-owned SSTV reported on Saturday evening that the South Sudanese leader left the country’s capital Juba allegedly to attend a meeting with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta. However, reliable sources close to the president said Kiir had instead traveled to South Africa for medical attention. Kiir has been suffering from an undisclosed illness for several months, though his health appeared stable in the past few months.

While his aides were reluctant to comment on the matter, some reports suggest the president is suffering exhaustion which had necessitated his trip for a medical checkup. On Sunday, however, South Sudan TV neither broadcast news on the president’s reception in Nairobi nor announced any outcome of the reported meeting with his Kenyan counterpart, something particularly unusual given Kiir was supposedly on an official trip. The lack of news about the president’s meeting in Kenya seems to suggest that he may have immediately proceeded to South Africa from Nairobi.

When contacted by Sudan Tribune on Monday – the report was written on Sunday – South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei declined to comment on the matter expect to say the president was on short leave. Not even officials at the South Sudan Embassy in South Africa could comment on the matter, with an unnamed official simply saying ‘That information is incorrect’ when Sudan Tribune inquired if they were aware of the president’s visit.

On Sunday, the country’s Vice President James Wani Igga also left Juba for South Africa, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin and a number of other officials.  Igga is due to attend the joint Southern African Development Community Summit and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) summit of heads of state and government in Pretoria..."

This report was written by a certain Ngor Arol Garang. Ngor Arol Garang is a journalist. I don’t know who is he, but according to our sources he represents the Sudan Tribune here in South Sudan. I am calling this press conference to inform you that all that is written here about the visit of the president to South Africa is unfounded, is baseless and it is not true. The president went from here, left on Saturday – we went and saw him off at the airport, and he was on a private visit to Kenya.  He went and put up in the Intercontinental Hotel and he came back on Monday afternoon. This was the visit of the president.  The president never went to South Africa, and all that was said about him is not in place. If the president was sick, we can declare it and say the president is sick, he is going for medical checkup. There is nothing secret about it. If he is going on a private mission, then we say yes he is going on a private mission.

And what is particular that you need to follow? If we say he is going on a private mission, do you need to create all these uncalled for stories, so that you are seen to be a very good journalist who has been following up a whatever? Leave the fact that the report was written on the 3^rd and I’m being quoted to have been asked on Monday.  I don’t know if it was the Monday before or Monday after the report? The report was written on the 3rd, which was Sunday, and on the 4th which was Monday it was reported that I was asked and I declined to comment.

Not that only, but all that is written here is unfounded. I am calling this press conference to refute all that has been said. Because as journalists, yes we are governed by our ethics. As a journalist you are supposed to report the correct report. Don’t add your own opinion on the reports that you make. And if you could add your own conclusions, then ultimately those conclusions could be wrong.

The reporter says simply because there was no mention of anything about the presence of President Salva in Kenya, then he must have flown to South Africa. I think the young man does not even know the geography of Africa or the world. Because the president cannot leave, proceed up to South Africa the same day, and comes back to us here on Monday. Going to South Africa through Nairobi, going to South Africa – I think he must have spent only two or three hours there and came back, or something must have happened. And after all what is secret about the visits of the president?

I am calling this conference to inform you gentlemen and ladies of the press, of what Article 24 says. Article 24 of our Transitional Constitution reads: it says Freedom of Expression and Media: every citizen, one, shall have the right to the freedom of expression, reception and dissemination of information, publication and access to the press, without prejudice to public order, safety, or morals as prescribed by law. As prescribed by law. That is one. Two. All levels of government shall guarantee the freedom of press and media, as shall be regulated by law. As shall be regulated by law.  In a democratic society. Number three, all media shall abide by professional ethics. 

I read these provisions because we have problems with constitutional provisions. There is a reference to the law – there is no law. Nevertheless – there is no law governing then media houses and no law governing the media houses up to now, but nevertheless and based on these provisions, article 1, sub-article 1 and 2, the gocvernment allowed freedom of expression. Just based on the provisions of the constitution, without waiting for the law which is supposed to govern the conduct of the media houses and journalists. We allowed it, but because we allowed it without a law this is why it is being abused.  It is being abused, it is being misused.  These freedoms which are given by the constitution are being misinterpreted and misapplied. Despite the fact that up to now there is no law governing the behavior of the journalists. There is no law governing the behavior of the media houses, nevertheless we allow it. I am bringing this to your attention, that this is the first time and it will never repeat itself again. We will never tolerate any such misbehavior or any misuse of this constitutional provisions.

Not that only, but as journalists you are supposed to abide by sub-article 3 of Article 24: abide by your professional ethics. If you don’t know as a journalist, if you don’t know what are your professional ethics, then you don’t deserve to be a journalist. In fact among the journalists there are those who can read and write, and simply because they can read and write they think they have qualified to be a journalist. As of now we will make a proper check on all the credentials of the jouranlists, so that we know who is a journalist and who is not a journalist. There is no question of anybody assuming to be a journalist or coming with a document which we don’t know, and then he or she assumes to be a journalist. We want qualified journalists who understand and know what is journalism, so that when they write they are held responsible for whatever they do. Whatever they write, they know what is the outcome of whatever they write.

If a journalist can go as far as creating such a situation, creating a story which is not substantiated, lying publically, and writing in a website which is read all over the world – there are certain situations, there are certain issues that you don’t need to cross. There are certain red lines that you must understand as journalists that they are not subject of anything. You don't need to cross them. If you cross that red line then you have fallen into a booby trap. This must be made very clear. And any journalist must understand what is it. The President of the Republic is the symbol of the people of the Republic of South Sudan. He is the symbol of the government. He is the symbol of the– he is everything in the government of South Sudan. Anybody who tampers with the reputation and dignity of the president, that will not be tolerated. That will not be tolerated, ladies and gentlemen. And you must understand as of now that we will not tolerate it again. And if necessity requires, we may behave in the absence of a law until the law comes. If you want that, we will do it. If you want us to operate with you in the absence of a law, we will do it. Because all these freedoms, all these rights we gave you, are not yet. And even if they come out, we will be treating you according to the law. But now we are treating you according to the constitution which is supposed to be clarified by the laws. So any misuse of these provisions will not apply. 

Any journalist who has no ethics will not be tolerated in South Sudan, irrespective of whether you are a foreigner or a South Sudanese.  This website. Is. This Sudan Tribune. Is a Sudanese Tribune. And it talks about ‘plural news and views on Sudan.’ It’s not supposed to cover South Sudan.  It’s unfortunate that the author is a South Sudanese I think who does not believe in the independence of South Sudan.  Otherwise if you believe in the independence of South Sudan there is no way you will be writing in  foreign website which is specifically meant to give views on Sudan.

This is a trap in which this poor journalist has fallen.  And I doubt if he is a journalist.  I am calling this press conference to tell you ladies and gentlemen that yes you have the freedom of press and media, but according to the law.  You should not just misbehave and write whatever nonsense you want to write in the name of democracy, in the name of freedom, in the name of whatever.  This is not accepted and cannot be tolerated.

For that matter I called this press conference to refute all these rubbish which has been said here by this young man – I don’t know whether he is young or know, because I don’t know him.  And as from today, all the journalists who are operating in South Sudan will be required to resubmit all their credentials to the Ministry of Information, Director General for Information.  All the journalists must submit their credentials for review.  There are some who are operating without.  And anybody found to be operating without, and any media house found to be operating without, must get prepared.  Because here we must act according to the law.  You must be registered; you must be licensed so that you legally operate in South Sudan, irrespective of whether you are indigenous or international. That is immaterial.  But everybody must get registered.’

We will be issuing new identity cards. And anybody found carrying that old ID card will not be considered. So if you want to operate – you want to continue as a journalist, come with all your documents, with all your credentials. I am seeing even that there are some people who are graduated here in an institute called… what? [voices] … Those who are graduated here and issued certificates which are not recognized by anybody.   Please, if you are using that type of certificates you are not a journalist. For your information. Because all that you got is not recognized, and if it is not recognized, you are working at a loss.  Any journalist must come with his or her credentials. Documents to confirm that he or she is a journalist. 

It’s not a question of me knowing how to read and write that I qualify to be a journalist. It is high time for us after this to regulate everything. All the media houses must come for registration. Any media house which is not registered, please come for registration. If you come, okay, no problem – we will get you wherever you are. We will get you wherever you are. Here in South Sudan, we will get you. Any printing press operating here in South Sudan must be registered – any private printing press. Even if you have only one machine for the production of a piece of paper, you must register. There are some printing presses that are operating here now in Juba, they are not registered, they are avoiding payment of taxes. These are people we will be on their neck. You are advised to register. There are over twelve printing presses here in Juba, they are not registered. These are a part of the media: the publishers. You are not registered, please don’t operate. You are advised to shut down, follow the correct procedure, get registered so that you hang your registration certificate. Get licensed so that you hang your license and continue to renew your license. The Government of South Sudan is losing a lot of money simply because of these behaviors. We will not tolerate it again. And anybody found operating without license will carry his cross. His or her cross. 

Being a journalist, being a media house, being an individual, being a what, whatever. This must be regulated. In our field, it is our duty to ensure that whoever operates here in this field of information and media is registered. And we will continue to manage it up to the establishment of the Media Authority. When the media bills are out they will be – the Media Authority will be established, and it is the Media Authority that will manage all this. In the absence of the Media Authority, we will continue to manage this process until time comes when it is handed over to the Media Authority.

In the meantime don’t try to misuse this vacuum and exploit it for whatever ultra objectives you have in mind. Freedom doesn’t mean recklessness. Freedom must be exercised within the law.  This is what I’m saying and this is reason of calling this press conference... Okay? Yes any questions?

[Question from Catholic Radio Network: Did that gentleman phone you to confirm on Monday about the President, or not? For this registration of journalists, are we going to have to pay $50, or is it free of charge?]

Your concern is money? Our concern is security, not money. This guy alleged to have called me on Monday. What I know so far I have not been called. I even called my colleague Martin Elia [Minister of Cabinet Affairs], and I asked him also and his saying that he has never talked to any media. We called on him [journalist Ngor Arol] yesterday, he registered [answered] and he is said to be in Torit, and he promised that he will be coming. So when he comes he will come and come and answer on all these issues. 

As for the registration, well if your period has not ended, we are not here to make money, but we are here to set up a system. So it is not a question of whether we will be paying more or not. We can deprive you that license which we gave you if we so wish. And if your license has not expired, we will just give you an alternative and you continue up to the end of your license. It is those whom we will find to be operating without licenses that will answer. So our objective is not making money, but our objective is to set up a system that must be respected and people abide by it. So if you are very much concerned with your fifty dollars, it will not be required if it has not expired.

[Question from The Citizen newspaper: You are talking of registration. Is there any provision or policy that you have put in place so that it can guide you during this process?]

You want to know our policy, come and you will know what we are doing. Yes, any other question? Okay, with that I thank you very much. I advise you all of you to report correctly, don't misreport, and don't misinterpret provisions, and don't reach unsubstantiated conclusions. Thank you very much.