CEPO Director Edmund Yakani | Photo: Awan Moses/Eye Radio

Political parties in South Sudan still face significant restrictions in engaging with citizen despite a little reduction in cases of intimidation and harassment of activists and journalists, said an activist.

Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), is reacting to a statement from the foreign ministry to a United Kingdom delegation that there is improved political and civic space in the country.

Foreign Minister Amb. Mohammed Ramadan Goc told the foreign delegation on Wednesday that the government has allowed other political parties and civil society organizations to freely express their views and engage in nation building without fear of repression.

Yakani, on his part, acknowledged what he termed as little improvement in terms of ending harassment and intimidation of activists and journalists.

“We have seen a little improvement in terms of intimidation, harassment of activist, journalists in terms of civic space but with regards to political space, we still see some restrictions towards political parties in reaching out to engage with the citizens,” he told Eye Radio.

But in regard to political space, the activist said political parties are still facing restrictions in some states.

According to him, despite declarations free political and civic space by some state governors, some members of the law enforcement are violating the orders.

“We have seen a positive case studies across the country around civic and political space through the UNMISS supported political party forums that are in the states and we have seen some state governors have done a progressive action on opening civic and political space.”

“But in terms of practice, some members of the law enforcement agencies are not availing the space as required by the law or as required by those declarations.”