According to the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), the victim, identified as Lodiong Godfrey Okech, was beaten and briefly detained after calling into a live phone-in programme on Voice of Freedom 93.0 FM. During the broadcast, Okech reportedly urged security forces to relocate roadblocks from residential areas to reduce tensions between civilians and law enforcement officers.
Shortly after the show aired, he was allegedly tracked down, arrested, and assaulted by security agents before being detained at a local police station. He was later released without any charges.
In a statement, UJOSS President Patrick Oyet condemned the assault, describing it as a blatant violation of Article 24 of the Transitional Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
“The authorities should investigate this matter and hold those responsible to account,” Oyet said, warning that such actions intimidate citizens and discourage public participation in media platforms.
Civil society activist and Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Executive Director, Edmund Yakani, also denounced the attack, calling it a grave abuse of power and a threat to civic freedoms.
“This is a crime and a breach of constitutional rights,” Yakani said. “Community radios exist to give citizens a voice. Beating a civilian for speaking on air is unacceptable and undermines the rule of law and human rights.”
Yakani urged Eastern Equatoria Governor Louis Lobong Lojore to take immediate action to ensure accountability, stressing that such acts of intimidation should not go unpunished.
“With elections and the constitutional-making process approaching, authorities must protect citizens and guarantee freedom of expression. Acts of torture and intimidation are undisciplined abuses of power and must not be tolerated,” he added.
Observers say the incident underscores the shrinking media and civic space in South Sudan, exacerbated by the National Security Service Bill passed in 2024, which grants security agents broad powers, including arrest without warrant.
