Forum Between Journalists And Security Organs Commences In Aweil

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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The forum is attended by over 20 journalists from different media houses in the state and several other government officials who are dealing with day to day running of the government affairs, representatives from Police, Prisons, Wildlife, National Army and state ministries.

The Chairman of Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), Oliver Modi, in his opening remarks said the day had been set aside to bring the two different components of the nation’s backbone which of are of importance together.

Modi said there has been a kind of misunderstanding between journalists and the security personnel and that’s why there has been numerous intimidations, harassments, physical torture, unlawful arrest or imprisonments, killings, and many other things journalist encounter when producing stories.

“We are here to bridge a way forward on how the two can understand each other role especially not to be confronting each other carrying out their duties,” Modi said.

Modi further added that the two bodies must respect and work together for the protection of citizens and the conduciveness of the working environment for all.

In an interactive forum, journalists complained that their right to access of information, coverage of some sensitive news and denial of freedom of expression have been highly rated as main challenges affecting them.

Others registered cases where some of the journalists were unlawfully arrested and later after some time set free without trial in the court of law which they say has led to undermining journalists’ work and their safety across the country.

Meanwhile the representatives from security organs who turned up in large numbers insist that there have never been cases whereby journalists are physically assaulted or confronted when carrying out their duties and that the matter only relates to few individuals who are of low understanding and temper as well.

The dialogue forum is organized by the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) and Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) supported by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Open Society Foundations and the national Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.