Whereabouts of journalist Santo Jal unknown days after arrest in Juba

JUBA – The whereabouts of South Sudanese journalist Santo Jal Dut remain unknown days after he was arrested while livestreaming a fire at Juba’s Custom Market, renewing concerns over press freedom and due process in the country.

Dut, who works for South Sudan Media, was detained on Dec. 1 while broadcasting live as a major blaze tore through traders’ shops near the compound of the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation in the Nyakuron area of the capital.

During the broadcast, Dut criticized what he described as the absence of state authorities and emergency services. He directly addressed Salva Kiir, challenging officials to arrest him if they intended to silence his reporting.

Moments later, security personnel seized him and took his phone as the video abruptly cut off.

In a public update today, South Sudan Media said Dut had been taken into unknown custody, with no information on his detention location.

“Mr. Santo Jal Dut, has been taken into unknown custody after he was picked up from Custom Market following a night fire outbreak. We have not been able to reach him by phone, and details surrounding his detention remain unclear,” the outlet said.

It added that Dut was arrested without any reason and was only urging officials to respond to the emergency.

“Mr. Santo was urging state authorities to respond promptly to save lives and protect innocent people’s properties from the rapidly spreading fire that overran the market in a short time. Our team is following up with the relevant authorities and will update the public as soon as more information becomes available,” it said.

Since his arrest, all attempts by Dut’s colleagues and family to locate him have failed, and no security agency has officially acknowledged his detention or disclosed his place of custody.

The case has heightened fears among journalists, reinforcing concerns of a widening security clampdown on media workers.

South Sudan’s transitional constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but this right is frequently undermined by practices of censorship, harassment and arbitrary arrest, particularly against journalists who report on corruption or criticize state officials.

Freedom House rated South Sudan’s media environment as highly restrictive in 2024, giving the country a score of zero out of four on its free and independent media indicator.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least six journalists have been killed in the course of their work in South Sudan since 2015.

In one high-profile case in January 2023, agents of the National Security Service detained at least seven journalists working for the state broadcaster over the alleged leak of a video involving the president. All were released by March that year.