The opposition National Democratic Movement (NDM) has protested after the state broadcaster failed to air a pre-recorded interview with its leader, accusing authorities of breaching professional media standards ahead of planned general elections.
The NDM, led by veteran politician Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, is a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement.
In a statement dated Feb. 20 and seen by Radio Tamazuj, the party said the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) did not broadcast an interview conducted on Feb. 12 with its chairman, despite a prior agreement that it would air on Feb. 17 at 9:30 p.m.
The interview addressed issues including the peace process, democratic transition and elections, the party said.
“A failure to air the programme at the agreed time constitutes a breach of recognised professional media standards,” the NDM said, calling on the state-owned broadcaster to provide an official explanation.
A senior NDM official, who declined to be named, told Radio Tamazuj that SSBC did not formally inform the party that the interview would not be aired as scheduled.
According to the official, Akol later contacted Information Minister Ateny Wek Ateny, who assured him the interview would instead be broadcast on Feb. 18. The minister said the programme had been reviewed by security authorities and cleared for airing, the official added.
However, the interview was not broadcast on the rescheduled date, and subsequent attempts to reach the minister went unanswered, the source said.
When NDM representatives contacted SSBC staff involved in conducting the interview, they were told that “the problem is from above,” according to the official.
Minister Ateny could not immediately be reached for comment.
Read More https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/dr-lam-akol-pushes-back-on-ouster-bid
Dr. Akol was dismissed as transport minister in October 2025 by President Salva Kiir after serving five months in the post.
A long-time critic of Kiir’s leadership, Akol founded the NDM in 2016. He previously led the SPLM-Democratic Change party after splitting from the ruling SPLM in 2009 and ran unsuccessfully against Kiir in the 2010 presidential election. Before South Sudan’s independence, he served as Sudan’s foreign minister.
In its statement, the NDM reaffirmed its “full respect for national media institutions” but said state-run media belong to all South Sudanese and must ensure equal access for political parties, particularly as the country prepares for elections expected in December.
The party said it would continue to use other media platforms to communicate its message and urged the state broadcaster to uphold transparency and equal treatment of political actors.
South Sudan’s media environment remains tightly constrained and politically sensitive. Rights groups and press freedom advocates have repeatedly raised concerns over government and security agency influence on media outlets, including restrictions on news platforms and limited access to information, fuelling fears of censorship and curbs on free reporting.