Juba, 08 January 2023; South Sudan National security service on Tuesday arrested six journalists working for state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting [SSBC]. A source with knowledge of the arrest revealed to this publication that the arrest was related to the leaked video that went viral in December 2022, in which President Salva Kiir now 71 years was captured urinating on himself. 

The arrested staff are all working with the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation [SSBC] they were arrested on Tuesday by the National Security Service, according to inside sources with knowledge the Journalists were picked from different places and they were taken away to undisclosed locations within the city. 

However, a senior staff in SSBC who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the matter on media said, the journalists are under investigation over a video that went viral on social media in December, which appeared to show Kiir urinating on himself at an official function. 

The committee to protect journalists worldwide on Friday asked the Juba government to release the arrested journalists unconditionally and asked the government to cease its hostilities against journalists and media freedom in the country.  

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan also called for a "speedy conclusion" of the investigation into the six, who it said were suspected of "having knowledge of the release of a certain footage' to the public". 

"If there is a prima facie case of professional misconduct or offense then let authorities expedite an administrative or legal process to address the issue in a fair, transparent (manner) and in accordance with the law," reads the statement. 

Kiir, who is assumed to be 71 years, according to his close ally Silver Mathok, that the President has a history of underlying illness as a result he said Kiir's health should be subjected to better medical treatment outside the country. 

Kiir who oversaw the birth of the country is said to have liver complications, Gallbladder, and other disclose illnesses. According to Silver Mathok, President Kiir's problem could have begun dating back to 1991 after he Kiir survived an incident of a plane crash. 

The arrested journalists are; Joval Tombe, control room director, Mustafa Osman, technician and cameraman, Jacob Benjamin cameraman, Cherbek Ruben, technician and cameraman, Oliver Wani cameraman and Victor Lado editor. 

SSLN