The government of South Sudan supports the growth of private media and their professionalization.
Deputy Information Minister Atem Yaak Atem added that the private media have a very important role to play in South Sudan, and that the Government is ready to assist them.Mr Yaak stressed that the Government has the duty to inform the public on a daily basis on what it is doing.
He added that lack of adequate information has affected negatively even the image of South Sudan in relation to the oil shutdown and the armed dispute in the border.
Mr Yaak also expressed positive remarks for the position of South Sudan in relation to the freedom of expression and media laws.
He said Reporters without Borders have graded South Sudan in a middle position for freedom of expression and that a media group Open Society will rate South Sudan as number 11 when the media bills are enacted by the national parliament.
Mr. Yaak made these statements at a public lecture on “Future of Press Freedoms and Freedom of Expression in South Sudan.”
The event was organized in Juba by Justice Africa, AMDISS – the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, the Human Rights Commission and the Centre for Peace and Development Studies of the University of Juba.