(JUBA) – A new managing director has taken charge of South Sudan’s Media Authority, the body that issues broadcasting licences and enforces media rules, at a time when journalists continue to report pressure on their work.
President Salva Kiir appointed senior journalist Ajou Luol Akuei to the post on Wednesday. He replaces Elijah Alier Kuai, according to a presidential decree. Luol received his appointment letter on Thursday.
The Media Authority was set up in 2016 under the Media Authority Act of 2013. It regulates the media sector, grants and renews licences, and handles complaints against outlets. A nine member board that includes a chairperson, deputy chairperson and managing director governs it.
Luol told media that he would support a media space where journalists can work freely while staying within the country’s laws and professional rules. He pointed to the Media Authority Act and other legislation as the framework that guides media work in South Sudan.
The new managing director brings more than ten years of journalism to the role. A graduate of the University of Juba’s College of Arts and Mass Communication, Luol started his career at Citizen newspaper in Khartoum. He later worked for Voice of the People Radio and Ebony TV in Juba before moving to Arabic language publications including Al-Masier newspaper, where he served as senior reporter and general editor.
Luol spent more than seven years with Al Jazeera Arabic in South Sudan and contributed to several regional and international outlets, among them the UAE based Al Ain News Agency.
Outside journalism, he has held government and administrative posts. He served as coordinator of the former Aweil East state liaison office in Juba and worked as an inspector for corruption prevention and education at the Anti Corruption Commission.
Luol said the media should inform citizens, promote development and build social cohesion while giving balanced coverage to both the country’s problems and its progress. He said South Sudan is known for war, crime, communal conflict and tribalism, but it also has a rich heritage and cultural diversity that people want to learn about.
He said he hoped to help develop the media sector and strengthen professional journalism in the country.