NSS detains journalists for covering ‘illegal’ press conference in Juba

JUBA – South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) briefly detained on Tuesday at least five journalists for allegedly covering what the security reportedly said is a ‘illegal’ press conference called by Central Equatoria state Chamber of Commerce, according to a media authority official.

The unnamed journalists who were arrested at Custom market work for EBC Radio, Radio Miraya, Juba Monitor and Almougif Arabic Newspaper.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, the media authority official who refused to be named said since last week, there has been disagreement between the Central Equatoria state chamber of commerce and the South Sudan chamber of commerce led by Ayii Duang.

The official said the state chamber of commerce called a press conference in custom to address some of the issues including the forceful reduction of prices which he the local chamber said was not part of the national chamber’s jurisdiction.

“Since the dollar rate began to shut up, there has been disagreement between the Central Equatoria state chamber of commerce and the national one,” the official said. “So, the state chamber called for a press conference and Ayii Duang (the chairperson of South Sudan Chamber of Commerce) brought security operatives and stopped the event and then arrested five journalist for covering the event because they said it is illegal.”

The senior MA official further said the journalists were released after two hours of detention at the Blue House without charges.

“Because there was no any wrongdoing, they were released after the media authority intervened and we advised the security to stop these unnecessary arrests of journalists because it tarnish the image of our country,” the official added.

Last week, Ayii Duang ordered for forceful reduction of prices as economic crisis deepen.

This was after foreign currency prices hiked against the local pound following a government announcement that it was planning to change the currency to force hoarders to seek banking system.