Juba, South Sudan
August 14, 2022 — South Sudan Police have apprehended a Journalist working for the Voice of America during a peaceful demonstration over the high cost of living in the country.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Oyet Patrick, Chairman for the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) said Journalist Diing Magot was arrested on Sunday last week at Konyo-konyo market.
Agot is reportedly detained along with 6 protestors. At least one protestor was shot in the leg during the protest over high food prices.
Patrick told media that the female journalist is being held at Malakia Police station in Juba.
“It is true she was arrested while covering a protest in Juba and nobody has even known that she was arrested,” said Patrick.
According to the Chairman of Journalists, the family contacted colleagues of Agot asking for their daughter in case the daughter was with the friends because since she left the house [Sunday] and she never returned,
“This is when UJOSS was alerted that she was missing and we started immediately checking around where she could be. We have been informed that she is at Malakia police station.”, he stressed.
On Sunday, some protesters took to the street, holding posters such as “we cannot manage water and sugar now! We cannot afford bread now! and Save our lives from hyperinflation.”
It has been two weeks since the local currency appreciated significantly against hard currency but the move sparked skyrocketing of commodity prices in markets leaving the common citizens with nothing to put on table for their daily meal.
