Six journalists have been detained by South Sudan security forces over viral footage of the country’s president apparently urinating on himself, a press freedom watchdog has reported.
The camera abruptly turns away after Kiir and his entourage appear to notice what is happening.
On Friday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that six journalists for the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) had been detained by the country’s National Security Service under suspicion of an unauthorised release of the footage.
The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) – which had initially denied reports that journalists had been arrested over the video – called for a “speedy conclusion” to the investigation.
An SSBC official told independent outlet Radio Tamazuj the broadcaster did not air the footage.
But it also sparked fierce debate over the ethics of posting such footage on social media and allegations of lack of empathy towards an elder.
No elections have been held in the country since Kiir took power, though a vote is scheduled for 2024. »