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Juba – Al-Wadi Newspaper
In a development that has stirred significant controversy within the media community, the platform “Hot in Juba” published an extensive report on its official Facebook page detailing what it described as an “unjust suspension” imposed by the National Media Authority. The platform considered the decision a clear violation of press freedom and due legal process in South Sudan.
Repeated Summonses and Lack of Clarity on Charges
According to the report, the ordeal began in September when the platform—operating under Eight Seven Group Limited—received a summons from the Media Authority regarding a “series of complaints.” The platform stated that it immediately contacted the Authority through a phone call that included the Director General for Information and Media Compliance, Mr. Spana Agyuli Abuyi, along with a National Security officer attached to the Authority.
During the call, the Editor-in-Chief was instructed to appear in person before an investigation committee, despite being outside the country at the time. As a result, Hot in Juba assigned the company’s lawyer to represent the platform, but Authority officials—according to the report—refused to meet the lawyer or disclose any details about the complaints, insisting that only the Editor-in-Chief could appear.
On September 30, a second summons was issued. The lawyer attended once again, but the Authority repeated its refusal to meet him, maintaining its demand for the Editor-in-Chief to appear in person. This, according to Hot in Juba, completely obstructed the progression of the process.
Obstructed Licensing Procedures and Halted Media Expansion
The report further explains that Hot in Juba received its first provisional operating license in 2023 after fulfilling all legal requirements. With plans underway to launch Hot in Juba FM and publish a weekly newspaper, the platform applied for an additional broadcasting license alongside its existing online publishing license.
The platform states that it began the necessary procedures, including visiting the Media Authority to collect the invoice needed to complete payment at the bank. However, upon returning to collect the invoice, the team was surprised to receive another summons instead of the required document—effectively halting the licensing process and blocking the platform’s expansion plans.
Hot in Juba added that its previous license was due for renewal, but it chose instead to upgrade it to cover new media activities, a process that has now been completely stalled due to the repeated summonses.
Official Accusations and Suspension Decision
Hot in Juba reported that just a week later, the Media Authority issued a suspension letter signed by its Managing Director, Mr. Elijah Alier, containing a series of accusations. These included “publishing offensive, derogatory, and defamatory content,” “contempt for procedure,” “misleading communication,” and “failure to comply with summonses” issued in September and October.
The platform noted that the Authority ordered it to immediately remove all “offensive” content, without identifying any specific publication or post that formed the basis for the allegations. Despite this, Hot in Juba refrained from going public for nearly two months, hoping—as it stated—to resolve the matter amicably, but such efforts ultimately failed.
The report also stated that an official from the Media Authority threatened to contact the National Communications Authority to block the platform’s website and social media pages entirely—something Hot in Juba described as a “serious escalation aimed at silencing the platform.”
Platform’s Position: The Decision Is Unlawful and the Process Flawed
In its concluding remarks, Hot in Juba emphasized that the suspension is “unjustified and lacking in fairness and transparency,” highlighting that it was never informed of the nature of the complaints and that its lawyer was repeatedly denied the right to represent the platform—an action it describes as a clear breach of proper legal procedure.
The platform reaffirmed its commitment to professional, independent journalism and expressed readiness to participate in any fair legal process. However, it firmly rejected what it called attempts to “silence its voice or undermine media independence in the country.”
Hot in Juba concluded by calling on partners, civil society organizations, the broader media community, and advocates of press freedom to closely follow these concerning developments, stressing its continued commitment to defending its right to operate as an independent media institution.
