Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The National Union of Journalists notes that at least six journalists in South Sudan have been arrested over the dissemination of footage showing President Salva Kiir appearing to wet his pants during an official event.
Footage from December shows the “dark spot” spreading across the 71-year-old president’s gray pants as he sings the national anthem at a street commission event.
The video was never shown on television but was later circulated on social media.
The journalists, who work with the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Patrick Oyet, president of the Union of South Sudanese Journalists.
“They presumably know how the video of the president urinating came about,” he said, citing Reuters, on Sunday (8/1/2023).
Pyet said the journalists arrested were cameramen Joseph Oliver and Mustafa Osman; video editor Victor Lado; collaborator Jacob Benjamin; and Cherbek Ruben and Joval Toombe from the control room.
South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei and National Security Service spokesman David Kumuri did not respond to requests for comment on the detention of the six journalists.
Kiir has been president since South Sudan became independent in 2011. Government officials have repeatedly denied rumors circulating on social media that President Salva Kiir was in bad shape.
(pgr/pgr)
