Alfred Taban

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From Fledgling to Failed

Even as the country collapses, South Sudan’s government will brook no criticism By Jacey Fortin JUBA, South Sudan – The shooting began around 5:15 on a Friday afternoon. Dozens of journalists had gathered in the pressroom at the Presidential Palace–a walled compound also known as “J1”–in the capital city. Following a few days of rising…

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Bullet holes mark a wall where a sign celebrating five years of South Sudan's independence hangs. The country's press has come under pressure after renewed fighting. (AFP/Peter Martell)

In South Sudan, editor arrested as harassment of press increases

Nairobi, July 26, 2016–South Sudan should immediately release Michael Christopher, a journalist who was arrested in the capital, Juba, on July 23, and take action to stop the harassment of the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A camp in Juba for South Sudanese displaced from their homes by unrest. An editor at Juba Monitor has been arrested over a critical column about a renewed round of fighting in the country. (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS/Handout Reuters)

South Sudan authorities arrest editor, order Juba Monitor to cease publishing

Nairobi, July 18, 2016–Authorities in South Sudan should immediately and unconditionally release South Sudanese journalist Alfred Taban, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Taban, editor-in-chief of the independent English-language daily Juba Monitor, has been held without charge since July 16, according to colleagues and media reports.

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Members of the public visit the office of The Patriot. The paper's former chief editor says critical journalists risk being labeled rebel supporters. (CPJ)

Mission Journal: As South Sudan conflict continues press still suffers

On December 15 last year, fighting that broke out between supporters of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar–who had been vice president until Kiir fired the entire Cabinet–escalated into a civil war that has increased pressure on an already fragile independent press.

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Q&A with an editor of South Sudan’s Juba Monitor

Police arbitrarily arrested Michael Koma, the managing editor of South Sudan’s daily Juba Monitor, on May 2 and detained him for four days following the publication of an article critical of the deputy security minister. A veteran journalist, Koma has experienced firsthand the poor state of press freedom within Africa’s newest country. CPJ spoke with…

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Alan Boswell (Courtesy Boswell)

McClatchy’s Boswell caught in South Sudan’s war of words

A day before U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited South Sudan this month, McClatchy correspondent Alan Boswell reported that President Salva Kiir had finally acknowledged his government’s support for a Nuba Mountains-based group that had been skirmishing with Sudanese forces. In a letter to his U.S. counterpart, the story said, Kiir apologized for…

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