The manager of Leer 88.0 FM radio, a community station serving residents of Leer County in Unity State, was released after about an hour in detention following his arrest by security personnel, he said on Tuesday.
Leer 88.0 FM is a local community radio station that provides news, public information and humanitarian programming to audiences in the area.
James Gattiek Lieth Majiek told Radio Tamazuj that he was detained on Monday after taking photographs of trucks being loaded with sand and transported to Bentiu.
“I was taking pictures of the trucks, and that led to my arrest,” Gattiek said. He added that he was held for about an hour before being released.
Gattiek said he was arrested at around 5:20 p.m. and released at approximately 6:20 p.m. He said he is now back at his home in Leer town.
He also alleged that incidents involving the arrest of journalists by security personnel have occurred repeatedly, often without clear reasons.
Journalists in South Sudan face frequent harassment and detention, often linked to reporting on sensitive political or security issues, according to media rights groups.
Meanwhile, Leer County Commissioner Stephen Taker Riak Dong denied that Gattiek had been arrested, describing the incident as a discussion between the journalist and county authorities.
“He was not arrested. It was just a discussion between him and the county authorities,” Dong said, adding that he was not fully aware of the details as he was in Unity State at the time.
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