Imagine being arrested for simply doing your job as a journalist—a role meant to inform and engage the public. That’s exactly what happened to Chuol Mut Teny, a journalist with Leer Radio 88.0 FM in South Sudan, who was detained for six hours over a seemingly harmless call-in show. But here’s where it gets controversial: his arrest was triggered by a caller sending greetings to a rebel general, Banypiny Gatlel, during the broadcast. Was this a genuine threat to national security, or an overreach of authority stifling free speech? Let’s dive in.
On Saturday, Chuol was hosting a routine morning program when a caller extended greetings to the SPLA-IO general. Once the show ended, police authorities detained him, claiming he had allowed the message to air. This incident comes at a tense time, as conflicts escalate between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the opposition SPLA-IO in Unity State and beyond. And this is the part most people miss: journalists in South Sudan often face harassment, censorship, and arbitrary detention, despite constitutional guarantees of press freedom.
After six hours in custody, Chuol was released without conditions, thanks to intervention from Unity State’s Minister of Information and Telecommunications, Nyakenya Keah Ruai, and the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS). Nyakenya explained the delay in Chuol’s release was due to authorities, including his office, being initially unaware of the arrest. Once informed, Leer County Commissioner James Kuol Tap promptly secured Chuol’s freedom.
Chondok Stephen, UJOSS coordinator in Unity State, confirmed the timeline: Chuol was detained around 12 p.m. and released at 6:20 p.m. on the same day. Stephen emphasized the arrest was solely because of the caller’s greeting to the rebel general, raising questions about the line between national security and media freedom.
This isn’t an isolated case. Just two weeks ago, a journalist with Bentiu Radio 99.0 FM was arrested by the Unity State governor’s bodyguards for allegedly criticizing poor road conditions. Such incidents highlight the precarious environment for journalists in South Sudan, where media laws promising freedom of expression are weakly enforced. According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, South Sudan ranks 109th out of 180 countries, reflecting the gap between legal protections and reality.
Here’s the bigger question: In a nation striving for stability, how can we balance security concerns with the fundamental right to free speech? Should journalists self-censor to avoid detention, or is it the government’s responsibility to uphold constitutional freedoms? Let’s spark a conversation—what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
