Journalists Praised for Upholding Professional Ethics in South Sudan
By Kidega Livingstone
The Minister of Information and Communication in Eastern Equatoria State (EES), Elia John Ahaji, has commended local journalists for their professionalism and accuracy in reporting, saying their work has greatly contributed to peaceful coexistence across the state.
Speaking during the opening of a two-day workshop in Torit, Minister Ahaji said the media has played a crucial role in promoting stability, noting that the visible drawdown of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in the area reflects the improved security situation.
“I would like to applaud journalists in Eastern Equatoria State for their professional reporting and for sharing accurate information. This has immensely contributed to peaceful coexistence,” Ahaji said. “You can even see UNMISS pulling out because there is peace in the state.”
The Minister appealed to the workshop’s organizer, the Support Peace Initiative Development Organization (SPIDO), and other development partners to extend similar media training programs to Greater Kapoeta and Magwi counties.
He emphasized the need to equip journalists in those areas with skills to combat harmful communication practices.
“I appeal to SPIDO and other partners to extend this training to journalists in Kapoeta and Magwi counties so that they are also trained on hate speech, propaganda, disinformation, and misinformation,” he urged.
Minister Ahaji also identified climate change as an emerging cause of community conflict, particularly due to irregular rainfall, and called on journalists to raise public awareness about its impacts.
“Climate change is now the cause of conflict in many communities across the state. Rain-makers are being buried alive or killed because of rain failures caused by climate change,” he explained. “It is now the role of journalists to educate the locals and share accurate information to prevent family and community disputes.”
As the Cybercrime Bill nears its final stage, the Minister cautioned journalists to be mindful of the law and avoid being mistaken for whistle-blowers.
“The Cybercrime Bill is almost complete—differentiate yourselves from whistle-blowers and avoid falling victim to the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” Ahaji warned.
The workshop was organized by SPIDO with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It focused on enhancing conflict sensitivity among journalists in Torit to counter hate speech, propaganda, and misinformation.
