South Sudan rebukes media coverage of president Kiir's family
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March 31, 2014 (JUBA) - South Sudan's government on Monday lashed out
at media coverage of recent allegations about president Salva Kiir's
family, claiming that the negative headlines could harm the country's
image.
JPEG - 16.7 kb
South Sudan president Salva Kiir (AFP/Nicholas Kamm)
A Kenyan daily newspaper reported on Friday that the president's
23-year-old son, Manut Kiir Mayardit, was briefly detained by police
after he allegedly assaulted his sister while drunk.
The president is reported to have responded by convening a meeting
during which he cautioned his family to refrain from any behaviour
that would attract the public's attention.
"I have noticed that some sections of the media and commentators have
decided to focus mainly on the private life of the president and his
family," Thiik Giir, an in-law of president Kiir, said in an interview
with Sudan Tribune on Monday.
"This is a clear violation of our constitution, particularly provision
of article 22, which states that the privacy of all persons shall be
inviolable; no person shall be subjected to interference with his or
her private life, family, home or correspondence, save in accordance
with the law, yet the media have continued to fail in this area," he
said.
Giir said the media should concentrate on public matters, specifically
those issues which relate to the work of the president as head of
state, instead of "invading his privacy" and his family life.
"President Salva Kiir is a humble leader the media and some
commentators have continued to invade his privacy without
consequences, but if it were other countries like Sudan, the people
(journalists) who do this would have definitely paid for it," he said.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 in part because of the lack of
freedom shown towards the press and individuals in the north. Human
rights groups say that the former rebels who govern South Sudan have
sometimes failed to allow for freedoms they claim to have fought for
during a more than two-decades-long civil war with the north.
The relative claimed some sections of the media were taking advantage
of Kiir's humility "because they know he wants a common understanding
between the government, media and the opposition, but failed to know
that criticism should be objective to avoid depicting this nation
badly to outsiders".
The comments from Kiir's relative come 14 weeks into a conflict
between troops loyal to the government and rebels who have split from
the ruling SPLM and the South Sudanese army (SPLA).
Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny said he was not aware of the
reported meeting which the president had convened over the weekend
with his family members after media reports in Kenya that police
authorities last week arrested the president's son after his mother
alerted them to his violent behaviour.
"I personally spoke to the family members of the president in Kenya
where the alleged incident took place, but they told me that they were
not aware of the incident. I also asked the president whether he held
any meeting with the family members but also he said he did not hold
any meeting," Ateny told Sudan Tribune on Monday.
Ateny said the president's son and nephew came to Juba on Sunday but
did not have a chance to officially meet the president, although they
greeted each other informally as they live together in the same house.
(ST)
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1 April 07:29, by omoni jr.
Thiik Giir.
You are just another moron,you called a thug president,humble?
Alcohol invaded his family,who are you blaming here? The wife of
alcoholic was the one calling police to her son,when all the family
was drinking and 23 years old manut had too much alcohols,and behave
like wild animal,and harrassed his sister,punched her face.
repondre message
1 April 07:51, by Majak Mangar Chawul
I do blame the security organs for allowing the media staff to
report anyhow because ,there should be the line of reporting. What
mandated the media to report house affairs issues despite being the
president family issues. Did our security doesn't learnt from
President Bashir security activities if not ,let them go back for
further security training so that they may be able to fulfill their
mandat
repondre message
1 April 08:09, by Letigolight
The boy thought he was in a cattle camp in Gogrial or Luri where
beating of humans and animals is normal and an order of the day. Why
should even the media waste time reporting this since they are used to
beating themselves, don't waste time; these guys will not understand.
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