Chris Marol, Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Association for Media Development in South Sudan, and Chief Executive of the Radio Community, during a talk show on Eye Radio on July 15, 2025. (Photo: Eye Radio/Moses Awan)

Juba, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The Deputy Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Association for Media Development in South Sudan said journalists are not adversaries of the government and should not be treated as such by the security forces.

Chris Marol, Chief Executive of the Radio Community, discussed the roles of media and security agencies in South Sudan during his appearance on Eye Radio’s Dawn program on Tuesday, July 15.

Journalists in South Sudan are partners to the government, not adversaries, according to Marol.

“Journalists, we are not enemies to anybody; all of us have a mandate to make sure that we can get people informed,” Marol stated.

He added that security forces also have a mandate “to uphold the constitution, and to uphold the law and make sure that the journalists are protected, it is the mandate of the security to protect them.”

Marol further urged security forces to refrain from intimidation or arrest.

“They (security) should not intimidate them (journalists); they should not be able to arrest them. When you protect somebody, it doesn’t mean you block them up. But you need to make sure that person can move freely, and all of us, we are not enemies, we are doing the same,” he explained.

He concluded by highlighting the complementary roles: “You are gathering intelligence to make sure to prevent crime.”

“We want to inform the public so that we can be able to change the environment and build a conducive South Sudan where peace prevails.”