Edmund Yakani, the executive director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), called upon the office of the president to release the unseen media laws allegedly signed into law by Salva Kiir.

“CEPO feels bad that some government officials are threatening the freedom of expression at the moment that people need to express their views,” Yakani said. “Without expression the government will not know what people want because expression gives chance for the government to respond to citizen’s expectations.”

“In strong terms CEPO is calling our president to act on these issues of freedom of expression,” Yakani said.

He said South Sudanese citizens need freedom of expression in order to push the country on the right path out of the current political crisis.

Yakani said that the ongoing IGAD and AU-commission of inquiry investigation for justice and accountability process requires freedom of expression.

Yakani added that the minister of justice told him last week on the sidelines of a UN human rights summit in Geneva that media law is “under review” in the ministry.

Kiir’s spokesperson Ateny Wek announced on 9 September that a copy of the media law would be available media houses the next week after the ministry's review.

Last week Kiir remarked at of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he recently signed the media law to guarantee freedom of expression. 

There have been numerous recent instances of curtailing press freedom in South Sudan, including the shutting down of Catholic Church Radio Bakhita FM in Juba and the ongoing detention of UNMISS journalist George Livio.

This week, the Western Bahr el Ghazal government threatened to close down the Catholic Church’s Voice of Hope FM in Wau.

Related:

S. Sudan presidency unclear on whether media bills in force

Text of media 'law' kept secret by S Sudan govt

No confirmation of South Sudan media bills signing

File photo: Civil society activist Edmund Yakani speaks to Radio Tamazuj

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