The Managing Director of the media authority is calling on all media houses to register with the body or they may face sanctions.

Elijah Alier said a deadline that was set has already elapsed and only 60 media houses have so far registered. But it is not clear how many media houses are there.

Speaking to the media after a workshop on the development of media in Juba, Alier said it is important to be part of the process so as to operate as a legal entity and be recognized.

He said registration of media houses will also allow them to get the support that they are entitled to the freedom of expression.

“At the moment there is that provision that you must register. So there is no way you will be operating a media house in South Sudan without a legal ground. So as we are talking now, you must be legally registered and legal operating in the media sector. The time for registration has already passed but up to now we have not yet issued sanctions but we will be in a process sanctions for those who are not complying,” said Alier.

Mr. Alier said media outlets formed after the deadline in September will be considered.

Combating hate speech

At the end of the workshop, the Media Authorities and Media houses have resolved to develop guidelines to combat hate speech and improve partnership.

The resolutions were among six measures participants suggested during a two-day workshop held on Friday on the implementation of South Sudan Media Laws.

Others include the need to train of journalists, register media houses as well as conducting the dialogue with between the houses and the law enforcement agencies.

The media forum said the aim was to develop professional media in the country that operate within the framework of the law.

Speaking after the workshop, the managing director of the media authority, Elija Alier said the resolutions will help the body develop policies to strengthen implementation of the law.

“At the end of this workshop we will be able to implement the resolutions of this workshop and these resolutions will be able to help media authority to develop policies that will strengthen the implementation of the law as required by the constitution”,” he said.

For his part, a member of parliament, Paul Mayom Akech calls on the security organs to allow people speak their minds freely without intimidations.

“I would want to encourage my comrades in the security sector that we have gone to a different error. Any person that is found talking if even he said the president is not good it’s better to ask him why the president is not good. The moment you say this and he tells you this this this, that means, all of you now the same than you will come together and that’s the dialogue we are moving too,” said Mayom.

“I want to tell you that it’s a discuss talking to each other vomiting all that is bad in us that will take us forward. I will want everybody to feel the same way that I feel that if I said something wrong, I say it’s wrong and then we sit down and talk it over. Don’t take an arm and that’s the purpose for which national dialogue was established,” he said.