The editor-in-chief of a Juba-based newspaper has been detained by the National Security Service (NSS), a family representative has said.
Michael Christopher, who heads the Arabic-language daily Al-Watan, is being held at an NSS facility in the Riverside area of the capital. The reasons for his arrest on Wednesday evening remain unclear.
A family representative told Radio Tamazuj that they had not received any official explanation from the National Security Service for the detention.
“He was at home yesterday, but the exact place of arrest we don’t know because we have not yet spoken to him,” the family representative said.
Civil society groups have criticised the arrest, warning that the use of restrictive laws is damaging the country’s human rights record.
Ter Manyang Gatwech, a civil rights activist, said the detention contradicts constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.
“Articles 24 and 25 of the constitution grant freedom of expression, so the authorities are not supposed to use that law against innocent citizens,” he said.
Manyang also noted that South Sudan is due to appear before the UN’s Universal Periodic Review on human rights in 2026, yet “human rights violations are increasing day by day.”
A history of detention
Michael Christopher has faced repeated run-ins with security agencies over the past decade.
His first recorded detention was in May 2016, when he was held by police after publishing an article about a senior army general. He was released without charge.
In July 2019, he was detained at Juba International Airport by NSS officers, who confiscated his passport. He was held for 39 days without charge at the NSS headquarters.
Rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch, condemned the detention as arbitrary and described it as part of a wider clampdown on independent media.
A shift towards activism?
Some observers suggest the latest detention may be linked to his recent activities on social media, which they say blur the line between journalism and political activism.
Christopher has used his personal Facebook page in recent weeks to broadcast live commentary on political developments.
He was recently seen sponsoring a celebration following the dismissal of Dr Benjamin Bol Mel from his position as vice president for the economic cluster. Earlier this week, he also used his platform to call for the removal of other senior officials, including the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr Martin Elia Lomuro.
The South Sudanese editor has also openly supported Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the newly formed parallel administration.
The posts have led some to view him less as a traditional journalist and more as a political activist.
NSS spokesperson David Kumuri could not immediately be reached for comment. South Sudan’s security legislation grants the agency broad powers of arrest and detention without a warrant.