Journalist Emmanuel Monychol Akop’s Detention Sparks Outcry in South Sudan

November 30, 2024 – Sudan –

Emmanuel Monychol Akop, editor-in-chief of The Dawn Daily in Juba, was detained without charge by South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) on November 28, 2024, after responding to a summons to its Juba headquarters. No warrant was presented, and the newspaper’s staff had no clarity on the reasons for his arrest. Under South Sudanese law, detainees must be brought before a court within 24 hours—an obligation NSS did not meet in this case.

In the weeks following his disappearance, neither Akop’s family nor The Dawn staff could establish his whereabouts; he remained in NSS custody without official communication. This arbitrary hold occurred amid broader concerns over newly enhanced NSS powers granted by the 2024 amendment to the National Security Service Act, which allow for warrantless arrests and raise serious human rights issues.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), supported by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan and international organizations, called for his immediate release or formal charges. CPJ’s Africa Programme head Angela Quintal warned that this continued detention erodes press freedom in a country with an already limited record of media rights.

Reports reveal that this was not the first time Akop faced NSS reprisals—he was similarly detained in 2019 after a Facebook post mocking a government minister’s attire. The recurring targeting of the same journalist illustrates a disturbing pattern of state surveillance and punishment of independent voices.

On June 12, 2025, following six months in detention, Akop was released without charge, despite no explanation being offered for the prolonged custody. Civil society actor Edmund Yakani praised the release but criticized the NSS for violating constitutional protections and ignoring legal limits on pre-trial detention. Patrick Oyet, president of the journalists’ union, welcomed Akop’s return but remained concerned that the legal uncertainties surrounding his arrest remain unresolved.

Akop’s case highlights systemic issues in South Sudan: unchecked intelligence authority, legal opacity, and intimidation of journalists. Despite his freedom, experts argue that safeguarding press independence demands legislative limits on NSS power, consistent legal process, and full transparency, without which future arbitrary detentions may continue unabated.

Reference – 

South Sudan editor Emmanuel Monychol Akop detained without charge by intelligence agents

South Sudan security detains The Dawn editor