The National Security Bill of 2024: A threat to freedom of expression in South Sudan
Posted: 22 July, 2024 Filed under: Akot Makur Chuot, Yeabsira Teferi | Tags: African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arbitrary arrest, basic human right, Code of Criminal Procedure, democratic transition, fair trial, freedom of expression, freedom to express views freely, international human rights instrument, National Elections Commission, national security, National Security Bill, National Security Services, political consciousness, Public Prosecution Attorney, South Sudan, South Sudan military, warrant of arrest Leave a comment
Author: Akot Makur Chuot
LLM Candidate, Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa, University of Pretoria
Introduction
On 3 July 2024, the Revitalised National Transitional Legislative Assembly of South Sudan passed the controversial National Security Bill, which among others empowers (sections 54 & 55) the National Security Services to make arrests and detain anyone suspected of having committed an offence against the state without a warrant of arrest. The Bill was controversially passed by a vote of 274 in favour and 114 against, with 3 abstentions. This is in the face of a democratic transition as South Sudan heads to poll on 22 in December 2024 as per the announcement of the National Elections Commission. If the President does not sign the Bill within 30 days from the day it was passed, it will automatically become law.
The decline of democracy and the rise of coup d’états in Sub-Saharan Africa: Reflections and lessons
Posted: 25 February, 2022 Filed under: Garang Yach James | Tags: civil unrest, civil uprisings, coup d'états, gun class, human insecurities, human security, Independent Electoral Commission, militarisation of politics, military takeover, political fiasco, Republic of South Sudan, South Sudan military, stable democracies, structural inequalities Leave a comment
Author: Garang Yach J
South Sudanese Political and security analyst and PhD Student, University of Juba, South Sudan
Summary
Although coup d’états have been straddling the African continent since the 1960s, their recent resurfacing and rise is a reverse to the democratic consolidation in the Sub-Saharan African region. In this article I try to locate the trends of coups in the history of the region in order to showcase the existing susceptibility of the states in the region. I further advance the argument that militarisation of politics, the dominant military aristocracy and proclivity to change constitutions in order to extend term and age limits, delays in holding free and fair elections are among the reasons why democracy is declining, and coups are on rise in the region. I also present a compelling argument that failure to incorporate human security into governance is stifling democracy and resuscitation of coup tendencies. The article concludes that military metiers in the Sub-Saharan region have entrenched themselves and apply mock democracy to actuate militaristic propensity. Finally, the article gives four recommendations that would improve democratic governance and mitigate trends of unconstitutional change of government in the region.
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