Assault on press freedom: Journalists in South Sudan face severe risks

In South Sudan, there is fine print attached to freedom of the press. In the past year and a half, journalists faced the risk of being threatened, prosecuted and even killed by the government for reporting on political issues, according to a UN report released on Thursday. In other words, simply doing their jobs.

The report identified 60 verified incidents that violated freedom of expression. Previous incidents have included arrests, censorship and suspension of three media houses. Peter Moi, a South Sudanese journalist in Juba, was the seventh journalist to be killed in 2015. Moi was murdered shortly after Salva Kiir, the president of South Sudan, had threatened to kill reporters who were “working against the country.”

South Sudan scores highest on the Fragile State Index (FSI) and has remained at the very top of the list for the past five years. The FSI is an annual report by The Fund For Peace which measures a country’s overall stability and functionality. A lower score indicates a more sustainable nation, whereas a higher score indicates instability.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” said Grant McDonald, a network managing editor of Global News. McDonald spoke at the International Issues Discussion (IID) series at Ryerson University last month and discussed South Sudan’s political climate.

McDonald also led a three-year project with the Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) team in Juba from 2014 to 2017. They gathered a team of South Sudanese journalism students and helped them develop basic core skills in the program. Some were trained to strategically push the envelope amidst the intense political pressure and the civil war, which has been ongoing since December 2013.

Covering controversial topics such as war, system corruption, and other social issues needs to be dealt with caution and strategy. Journalists need to tread carefully.

The civil war has caused many catastrophic aftermaths such as malnutrition, hunger and economic inflation affecting the country’s innocent people. Despite the severity of these issues, the country limits press freedom, relying on propaganda to promote the idea that the government is doing nothing but good for the people.

The country also scored low on the World Press Freedom Index at 48.16 on a scale of 0 being highest and 100 being lowest. South Sudan ranks 145th out of 180 countries on the list.

Some conscious journalists in South Sudan have been slowly attempting to turn the tables by informing the public. However, the resistance comes with many risks. Covering controversial topics such as war, system corruption, and other social issues needs to be dealt with caution and strategy. Journalists need to tread carefully. They must always be aware about the words they use, the topics they cover and the nuance they imply on multimedia platforms. Sometimes it requires outsmarting those in power.

Abbas Gnamo, a professor of political science and African studies at Ryerson University, said it’s a huge challenge and risk for journalists. “Especially when the journalists are trying to persuade authority. Even if you’re Canadian, they don’t hesitate to arrest you,” he said.

If it’s a challenge for Canadian journalists, it is that much harder for the local journalists who can’t easily pack up their stuff and leave the country.

Still in countries like South Sudan, where hostilities have kept civilians in danger and crisis, human dignity is a notion that is slowly being introduced. For instance, resilient South Sudanese sexual assault survivors have started advocating for justice and voicing their traumatic experiences.

Maura Ajak is a young South Sudanese journalist and an award-winning radio reporter. She interviewed rape survivors, activists and the authorities of the Liberation Army, using her communication skills and fluency in Arabic and English to her advantage. Ajak strategically reported on gender-based violence and the stigma surrounding rape.

More importantly, she was able to create a dialogue for survivors and helped challenge stigmas. She also framed her story in a way that would minimize harm to her and her subjects. Coverage on these issues helped stir up a conversation and created a safe space for the survivors.

Between 2016 and 2017, South Sudan’s Human Rights Commision report was able to document more than 200 cases of rape committed by soldiers or men in uniform. The actions of many journalists and activists are pushing for change, and demanding democratic accountability in the country.

It will still take some time for a drastic and significant change. “They’re not interested in democracy, they’re interested in stability of the nation,” said Gnamo.

According to McDonald, the concept of human rights is still a Westernized idea. However, it is definitely not a farfetched one. There is hope.

Photo of Maura Ajak via DefyHateNow