Reporters Without Borders said in a report released on Tuesday that press freedom in South Sudan risks becoming as restricted as in the Sudan.
The report says South Sudanese journalists commonly face “violence and intimidation” including detention and beatings.The document underlines the brutality of the security forces and army towards journalists.
It says journalists are rarely subjected to formal arrest, but they are often briefly detained and beaten and violence and intimidation are common.
The reported adds that usually the brutality is personal initiative of policeman, soldiers, security agents and bodyguards who are not being controlled by their superiors.
It also blames some top brass for security forces’ brutality towards journalists.
It says security chiefs want to hunt down spies and national security imperatives justify the use of unconventional methods against suspicious people, including journalists.