Author: Michael Danie | Published: 23 minutes ago
Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment Progress Organization [CEPO] – Credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson |
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) says it has established a platform to monitor the implementation and enforcement of South Sudan’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, warning that the law should not be used to suppress freedom of expression or silence dissenting voices.
Speaking to Eye Radio, CEPO Executive Director Edmond Yakani said civil society organizations had previously urged the government to fast-track implementation of the law amid growing concerns over the misuse of digital platforms.
Yakani welcomed the government’s establishment of a National Cyber-Security Task Force to oversee enforcement of the law but stressed that its implementation must remain within the confines of the Constitution and international human rights standards.
“We welcome the formation of the National Cyber-Security Task Force, but the implementation of the Cybercrime Act must respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms,” Yakani said.
He said civil society organizations will closely monitor cases filed under the Act to assess whether they involve genuine cybercrime offences or are being used to target individuals for exercising their constitutional rights.
“Our role is to monitor whether the law is being enforced to address real cybercrime or whether it is being used to silence dissenting voices, activists, political actors or human rights defenders,” he added.
Yakani acknowledged that social media platforms have increasingly been used to spread harmful content, including hate speech, hostile propaganda, material linked to sexual violence and messages that fuel communal divisions.
However, he cautioned that efforts to curb online abuse should not come at the expense of civic space, freedom of expression or legitimate criticism of public institutions.
He also urged citizens to use digital platforms responsibly and avoid conduct that violates the law.
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, 2026, came into force in mid-July following a directive by President Salva Kiir.
The law criminalizes offences including cyberbullying, online harassment, incitement to violence, tribal hate speech, threats to national security and the dissemination of harmful false information. Some offences carry penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment.
However, the legislation has drawn concern from human rights organizations, media freedom advocates and sections of civil society, who argue that some of its provisions could be interpreted broadly and potentially used to restrict freedom of expression, press freedom and legitimate political criticism.
They have called on the government to ensure the law is implemented with adequate safeguards that protect constitutional rights while addressing genuine cybercrime and online abuse.
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