By William Madouk
Media Authority has asserted that it is the sole authority to regulate social media in the country, dismissing any unilateral attempts to shut it down.
This clarification comes in response to threats made by Peter Lam Both, the Secretary-General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), who said they would shut down social media sites if they were used for propaganda against the party.
Asked during a media briefing yesterday, Elijah Alier Kuai, the Managing Director of the Media Authority, stated that only the regulatory body has the power to make decisions regarding social media operations, no political party has the role to shut down social media except the media regulatory body.
“We are talking as a regulator, the SPLM party, they don’t have the capacity to control the media. There are institutions tasked with this role,” he said.
He advised politicians and religious leaders to be mindful of their words to the public.
“The politicians and religious leaders, as they are influencers, they speak to people and people listen to them but we urge them to be mindful simply because they have to differentiate the constructive criticism and inflammatory rhetoric,” Mr. Alier noted.
“Therefore, when issues of responsibility come in, issues to do with the media, they lie only with the media authority,” he affirmed.
He urged all the other stakeholders or any government institution to work with the media authority.
“Our laws do not encourage political parties to own media but they can use the platform of the media. So, the statement was issued, but they need guidance in that situation,” he added.
Early this month, rumours surfaced the social media that the Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, was allegedly sworn in as the acting president.
As well as a letter purportedly written by Bol Mel circulating on social media and ordering the governor of the Bank of South Sudan to audit the accounts of the first family.
Debunking the rumours, Mr. Lam warned that should such rumours continue the government would decide to shut down social media.
“SPLM is for the freedom of expression and speech, but when it is abused, it becomes a crime. We have the capacity to shut social media in South Sudan,” he said.
“We are the ones who are saying don’t shut down social media as SPLM but if the social media becomes anti-SPLM, we will put our hands up and allow those who have the capacity to shut it down to do that,” Both added.