By Kiden Stela Mandela
The trends and the rise in hate speech and hostile propaganda among the conflicting communities of South Sudan is alarming, and the civil society activist is warning that it might steer up mass destructions.
The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmond Yakani issued a statement on 16th May, 2022 following recent increase in deadly communal violence across the country.
“Amplifying hate speech and hostile propaganda easily leads to committing of human rights violations that may constitute genocide or crime against humanity. It is sad that elites of the conflicting communities are one driving the hate speeches and hostile propaganda. It’s time to remind all that hate speech and hostile propaganda never embrace tolerance,” he said in the statement.
In a statement released, CEPO’s Executive Director said they have observed sharp increase in hate speech and hostile propaganda among the conflicting communities of South Sudan in their write ups in official statements and interactions in various platforms of social media.
Mr. Yakani called on members of the conflicting communities across the young nation to abstain from hate speeches and hostile propaganda, since it is not healthy for peaceful co-existence.
The activist asserted that, the social fabric among the communities of South Sudan is breaking further due to the occurrence of continued armed deadly violence among the communities.
He said, it is essential for people who like to express opinion on any violent situation to be conflict sensitive in the use of language.
“Community Empowerment for Progress Organization recently observed sharp increase in hate speech and hostile propaganda among the conflicting communities of South Sudan in their write ups in official statements and interactions in various platforms of social media,” Mr. Yakani said the press release.
He stressed that it is clear that nowadays in various social media platforms and release of official press statement, use of language full of hate and hostile propaganda is taking dominance.
Yakani further urged the conflicting communities’ elites to abstain from hate speech and hostile propaganda in expressing themselves on ways for mitigating their grievances. “Hate speech and hostile propaganda kills the spirit of tolerance, CEPO will be fully engaged in tracking all forms of media online and offline on matters of hate speech and hostile propaganda,” CEPO Executive Director said in his closed release.