It’s hard to get on ground and take pictures of what is happening in South Sudan.
A local journalist Mr. Denis Dumo said that he gets it difficult to reflect the real image of the conflict due to lack of access to information.
Dumo said there is big suspicion among security organs. “If you pick out your camera to take pictures, security personnel think you are a spy to rebels” Dumo said.
Dumo said international media is playing great role because local media have no access to the other side of information.
“The government issued warning to the local media not to broadcast information from the opposing group” Dumo said.
The Minister of Information and government spokesperson Michael Makuei in a press conference warned local media not to interview or broadcast information of rebels.
“We will not allow any journalist who is hostile to the government to continue to circulate information that traumatizes the public” Makuei said.
Makuei told reporters to get across a neutral position that does not disturb the public.
In a different press conference earlier, Makuei told the journalists that there are redlines that they should not cross in their work.
“There are redlines that you don’t need to cross in your work, and this must be made very clear,” Makuei said.
Makuei said journalists operating in South Sudan must register in the ministry.
“All journalists must register under the Ministry of Information otherwise they will fall victims of the policy,” Makuei said.
“If you want us to operate in the absence of the law, we will do it, freedom doesn’t mean recklessness.” Makuei said.
Makuei said that the absence of media laws is making media practitioners to abuse the freedom of expression.
He said there is no law that is governing the media or journalists, yet the government is allowing them to operate without the law.
He warned journalists of abusing Article 24 of the Transitional Constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression.
He said that many media practitioners in South Sudan are not journalists by profession.
The words of the government spokesperson (Michael Makuei) have suppressed the media practitioners. The large information (pictures of mass graves, mass killings and massacres are not reflected and no local journalist can say about these) the about the fighting is off media coverage.
Local media is suppressed and international presses stands far in fear and just rely on secondary sources (government spokesperson, opposition spokesperson, UN and human right activities, but could not on ground get to see daily killing that the local can not mention) that which are giving big room for propaganda.
The image of the situation can’t be defined by international bodies because less information goes out( we as journalists in South Sudan are warned not to cross the redline meaning we are to only quote information verified by the government or UN, see many things that are said to be beyond the redline, so we can’t report them).
Thousands are killed, properties are looted, tens are raped, nobody could report these due to fear of arrest (IDPs could testify about massacre, rape and looting but local journalists can’t mention them, only few cases featured in the international press).
The local media is characterized with fear and is only shading light on developments leaving the dirty part of the crisis uncovered.
Early on, International Media Support (IMS) report indicated that the freedom of expression in South Sudan has only steadily declined, indicating that the most powerful restraint on the freedom of expression in the country are the government security forces.
“Arrest, detention, attack and harassment are not strange occurrences for journalists operating in South Sudan,” IMS report reads.
United Nations Especial representative of the Secretary General Hilde Johnson said that the United Nations is deeply disturbed by reports of threats, intimidation harassment and attacks against Journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders.
“Significant efforts must now be made by the government to address this trend and to ensure that people can enjoy basic rights such as the freedom of expression” Hilde said.
Hilde said UNMISS need to see positive commitment be followed up in justice.
Hilde early also urged the authorities to expedite the investigation into the killing of Late Isaiah Abraham and bring the perpetrators to justice. Isaiah Abraham is a senior South Sudanese journalists murdered in his house by unknown gunmen. Isaiah was one of the journalists received who undergoes several warnings, arrest, harassment and intimidations by government security organs, but finally assassinated by unknown gunmen.
“I had been receiving random deadly threatening massages from unknown numbers and unidentified sources” another local political writer Ajang Michael said.
Ajang said South Sudan media has disastrous future if the laws are not put sooner.
Ajang also said that the laws may not improve any situation if the government doesn’t follow them.
“What is the grantee that the security personnel will respect the media laws?” Ajang said.
Ajang appealed to human rights defenders worldwide to support media practitioners in South Sudan.
“I call upon immediate intervention of the United Nations and International community to rescue this situation” Ajang stressed.
Ajang said that South Sudan Government has developed hates with those who are writing about delivery of services and security instead of restructuring from mistakes.
He said that decision of the government to silence journalists is a big mistake in the political development.
“The move to silence journalists has shown that the government has failed to achieve democracy in South Sudan and the independence has become meaningless if those who want to express themselves are tortured and killed” Ajang continued.
Dumo said that the media environment in South Sudan has gone to worse since the eruption of the conflict December 15th 2013.
“Journalists could not stand the situation rather censored themselves following heavy warning from government side” Dumo said.
Dumo urged the government to open access to information to enable local and foreign media reflect the real image of the situation.