S. Sudan Media Authority tells VP Taban he has no grounds to sue Ruweng lawmaker

JUBA – South Sudan’s Media Authority (MA) has told the country’s vice-president Taban Deng Gai that he has no reasons to sue Ruweng Administrative Area (RAA) Lawmaker saying it has found no evidence to support that the vice-president has been defamed.

In August, the vice-president lodged complain against honorable Mary Ayen Kiir for “defaming” him after the Ruweng lawmaker accused him in a Facebook post that the vice-president is involved in attacks against Ruweng civilians.

The vice-president first asked for an apology, which the lawmaker strongly rejected and in stead calling the vice-president an hypocrite.

Taban’s lawyers then wrote to the media authority seeking compensation for damages emanating from the “defamation.”

In a response on September 24,the Media Authority said it has found that there are no evidences found to support that the vice-president was defamed by the lawmaker.

“The content of the article written by Hon. Mary Ayen Majok Kiir was a political statement in her capacity as the Honourable member representing Ruweng Administrative Area about the insecurity situation affecting the people in her constituency.

“The name and title of H.E the Vice President Taban Deng Gai were correctly mentioned in the article as a responsible public figure in his capacity as Government official in the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) of the Republic of South Sudan

“Reference to point number (4) highlighted in the article ‘Fourth, the attackers are coming from Unity State, particularly from Guit, the home of Vice President, Taban Deng Gai. This is not the first incident of its kind that involves forces loyal to the VP Taban Deng Gai. Yet we have never heard anything from the office of Taban Deng Gai’.

“This statement was a description of the direction from where the reported attackers were said to have originated and an opinion that no leadership action was taken to stop repeated attacks, hence cannot in its common usages of the terms be interpreted as an intrusion into the privacy or reckless attack on the personality of H.E Taban Deng Gai, Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.

“In accordance to section 28 (3)/ (a) and (b) of the Media Authority Act, 2013, the Authority advise that H.E the Vice President Taban Deng Gai in his rights to reply can issue statements refuting the allegations but shall not proceed with the intention to sue Hon. Mary Ayen Majok Kiir for defamation in this case since both of them are sitting public figures.”

The media authority however said the lawmaker mentioned the name of tribe which it said may incite tribalism in the country. It said it has advised the lawmaker to desist from similar utterance in teh future.

“However, the mentioning of a tribe’s name in this political and security statement by Hon. Mary Ayen Majok Kiir in paragraph two of number (3) of the article “Gen. Karlo Kwol who hails from Bentiu Nuer was bitter at the Care Taker of Ruweng Administrative Area”, can lead to incitement to violence,” the media authority said.

“Hence the Authority advise Hon. Mary Ayen Majok Kiir to refrain from making references to tribes in political sentiments,” it added.