South Sudan: Journalists held over film of president appearing to wet himself - BBC

Six journalists successful South Sudan person been arrested implicit the circulation of footage appearing to amusement President Salva Kiir wetting himself, media rights groups say.

In December, a video shared connected societal media appeared to amusement Mr Kiir urinating connected himself arsenic the nationalist anthem played astatine a function.

Six unit from the authorities broadcaster were detained this week.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is present calling for their release.

Patrick Oyet, president of the South Sudan Union of Journalists, told Reuters that the journalists "are suspected of having cognition connected however the video of the president urinating himself came out".

The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) says the footage was ne'er aired.

The arrests lucifer "a signifier of information unit resorting to arbitrary detention whenever officials deem sum unfavourable", said CPJ's sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo, calling for their unconditional release.

South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei told Voice of America that radical should hold to larn wherefore the journalists were detained.

Rights groups person often called connected the South Sudanese authorities to halt harassing and threatening journalists.

Mr Kiir became the archetypal president of South Sudan - Africa's newest state - successful 2011.

But the state has suffered galore crises since then, enduring brutal conflict, governmental turmoil, earthy disasters and hunger.