South Sudan authorities detain Juba Post managing editor in Juba

By Manyang Mayom
ST – January 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The managing editor of The Juba Post,
Isaac Billy Gideon, was detained Monday for a press release that was run
in the newspaper two months ago. Gideon, who spent about nine hours in
custody, was arrested at 10:00am yesterday but was bailed out at 6:50
pm.
The Juba Post Editor-in-Chief Charles Luganya Ronyo, who is currently in
Khartoum, strongly condemned the arrest of his managing editor. He said
that a newspaper cannot be held accountable for press releases or public
opinions. “The arrest of Mr. Gideon is an attempt at intimidation for
newspapers not to run press releases or opinion concerning the land
grabbing in the south.”
The Juba Post newspaper has been registered in Khartoum on 9 January,
2005 and start printing 5,000 copies weekly from Monday and Wednesday
double a week said Luganya. “Our newspaper is read in Southern Sudan and
in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan.”
The Madi community in Juba issued a press statement two months ago
condemning the malpractices of land allocation in Nimule to Business. In
the press release that was also published by many other newspapers
mentioned SPLA Brigadier William Deng of being in charge of the land
mismanagement?
“The press release was signed by advocate Becho Pitia” said Luganya.
When the press release was published, Brigadier Deng approached the
newspaper and denied that story, but the Juba Post told him that they
are not accountable for the press release from the Madi community.
However, Deng has filed a case against The Juba Post under Article 152
of 2008 of South Sudan for libel and self-defamation

Sudan: Declaration On Deteriorating State of Freedom of Expression – Media Freedom Issued By Media Stakeholder

Article 19 (London)

Sudan: Declaration On Deteriorating State of Freedom of Expression -Media Freedom Stakeholders

10 December 2008

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press release

The National Roundtable meeting on democratic media legislation in Sudan held under the auspices of the Sudan Consortium ‘promoting freedom of expression and civil society involvement in the development of democratic media legislation in Sudan’, which met in Juba, South Sudan on 1st to 2nd December, 2008, has expressed alarm at the deteriorating state of freedom of expression and media freedom in Sudan in a declaration of concern.

The National Roundtable, comprised of Sudanese media stakeholders, including Sudanese journalists and editors, and Sudanese and international media development and human rights organisations, was opened by the Government of South Sudan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Gabriel Changson Chang. The roundtable discussed the in-force and draft National media legislation, and highlighted the need for urgent reform of National and Southern Sudan media legislation, ahead of the scheduled 2009 national elections.

The roundtable also discussed issues surrounding self-regulation of the media in Sudan, agreeing to develop a national code of ethics that is in line with international best practice and to be drafted and adopted by the Sudanese media.

The meeting was deeply concerned by the crackdown on journalists, media professionals and media houses throughout the country, and most particularly in Khartoum. The increasing censorship of newspapers, and the harassment, detention and torture of media practitioners has reached alarming levels in Sudan.

The National Roundtable has issued a ‘Juba Declaration on the Deteriorating State of Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Sudan’, calling on the Government of National Unity, the Government of Southern Sudan and the International Community to ensure these abuses of fundamental human rights and media freedoms cease.

ARTICLE 19 is a member of a consortium ‘promoting freedom of expression and civil society involvement in developing democratic media legislation in Sudan’; in partnership with the Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development, the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, the Olof Palme International Center, International Media Support and Norwegian People’s Aid.

NOTES:

– The Juba declaration is available online at: http://www.article19.org/pdfs/press/sudan-juba-declaration.pdf

– The consortium in supported by the European Commission and Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.