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South Sudan's President Salva Kiir
Photo: Brian Inganga/AP
Six journalists have apparently been arrested in South Sudan for allegedly publishing a video in December of former warlord and current President Salva Kiir apparently urinating in his own pants while the South Sudanese national anthem is played.
As reported by the US organization Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), citing those close to them, the six employees of the South Sudanese state television station SSBC were arrested on Tuesday.
The responsible journalists' association confirmed the arrests.
SSBC itself apparently did not broadcast the video.
However, the clip went viral on the Internet and sparked debate about whether such scenes should be shown.
Kiir has ruled South Sudan with an iron fist since independence in 2011.
So far not a single national election has been held in the country;
a vote is scheduled for 2024.
Observers accuse Kiir's government of, among other things, assaults on the opposition and corruption.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has asked authorities to "unconditionally release these six SSBC employees and ensure they can work without further intimidation or threats of arrest." According to the CPJ, those arrested are being held at National Security Headquarters.
South Sudan's Minister of Information, Michael Makuei, has been contacted for comment but has not yet received a response, the organization wrote.
Makuei told the Voice of America broadcaster that the reason for the arrest of the media staff would be announced later.
According to Reporters Without Borders, there are repeated threats and attacks, charges and attempts to intimidate independent journalists in South Sudan, especially by state security forces.
Many journalists had to flee the violence and many editorial offices had to shut down.
'Whole newspaper circulations were confiscated;
Threats, censorship and self-censorship are rampant,” writes Reporters Without Borders.
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