Arrest Without Warrant
Bodyguards assigned to Unity State governor Riek Bim Top seized long-serving Bentiu Radio 99.0 FM reporter Taker Kuony on Friday in Bentiu town, according to media officials.
Witnesses say the security detail acted without a warrant and transferred Kuony to a military facility rather than civilian police custody, a step journalists’ unions describe as unlawful.
Official Reactions in Bentiu
Union of Journalists secretary-general Majak Kuany Alier confirmed the detention and called it “unacceptable, unconstitutional and unlawful,” insisting that due process be observed.
State Information Minister Nyakenya Keah Ruai, returning from Juba on the day of the arrest, said Governor Top had no prior knowledge of the incident and assured her that the reporter would soon be released.
Investigation Promised
Ruai announced the formation of a joint committee by the ministry and the governor’s office to clarify the circumstances leading to the detention, with initial findings expected early next week.
Community sources claim Kuony’s recent Facebook criticism of the deteriorating road between Bentiu and the Unity oilfields provoked the arrest, a link the minister neither confirmed nor ruled out pending inquiry.
Broader Media Climate
The incident follows the late-November detention of Al-Watan editor-in-chief Michael Christopher in Juba, underscoring what rights groups call a widening gap between South Sudan’s constitutional guarantees and day-to-day practice.
Under national law detainees must appear before a judge within 24 hours, yet journalists note that security organs frequently disregard the timeline, fuelling long-standing worries about editorial independence.