South Sudanese authorities have blocked access to social media platforms following recent unrest, prompting condemnation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and raising concerns over press freedom and public access to information.
On January 22, the National Communication Authority (NCA), the country’s telecommunications regulator, instructed all internet service providers to block access to social media for a period ranging from 30 to 90 days. This directive, confirmed by CPJ through a copy of the NCA’s letter and various media reports, aims to prevent the spread of videos showing the killings of South Sudanese nationals in neighbouring Sudan, which had triggered violent protests and retaliatory killings of Sudanese nationals.
CPJ strongly criticized the measure, calling it an excessive response to the unrest. In a statement, the organization said, "Blocking social media access is a blanket act of censorship and a disproportionate response to the unrest, making it harder for journalists to do their jobs and depriving the public of diverse news sources."
Muthoki Mumo, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, urged South Sudanese authorities to immediately lift the social media block.
Journalists in South Sudan have struggled to work around the ban, with some using virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue reporting. However, they are unsure whether their audience can access their content. "We journalists are using VPNs to work. What we don’t know is whether our audience is receiving [our news]," said Mariak Bol, editor-in-chief of Hot in Juba, a news outlet that also publishes on Facebook.
The social media shutdown comes alongside other measures aimed at controlling unrest in the country, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed in Juba on January 17.
On January 23, NCA Director-General Napoleon Adok Gai suggested that the ban could be lifted within 72 hours, though no official confirmation has been made. Efforts to reach South Sudan’s information minister and the NCA for further clarification were unsuccessful, CPJ reported.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0