South Sudan authorities suspend Hot in Juba news outlet

Kampala, Uganda, November 21, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South Sudan’s media regulator to rescind its order suspending the online news outlet Hot in Juba and to ensure its journalists can work safely.

“The suspension of Hot in Juba on unclear grounds is the latest sign that the South Sudan Media Authority has become a threat to journalism, rather than protecting media freedom, which it is legally required to do,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “Authorities should allow Hot in Juba to continue reporting without undue interference.”

Hot in Juba said on Facebook that it received a summons from the media authority on September 23 regarding a “series of complaints.” The outlet said its staff phoned the regulator, whose officials instructed its editor-in-chief to appear before an investigation committee. As he was outside the country, Hot In Juba’s lawyer went to meet the authorities but they twice refused to see him, it said.

On October 6, Hot In Juba received a letter from the regulator, reviewed by CPJ, suspending the outlet for “reckless publications of abusive, derided defamatory statements,” ordering it to take down all such statements, and banning staff from their offices. It said Hot In Juba had failed to comply with its summonses and refused to send representation to testify in the investigation into the complaints.

At the time of publication, Hot in Juba continued to publish on Facebook, where it has about 600,000 followers, but it had not updated its Instagram account, according to CPJ’s review.      

“Hot in Juba chose not to go public for nearly two months, believing the matter could be resolved amicably through dialogue. Unfortunately, these efforts did not succeed,” the outlet said, adding that a media authority official threatened to petition the regulatory National Communications Authority to block Hot in Juba’s platforms in the country.

The authority’s managing director Elijah Alier Kuai, who signed the letter, told CPJ via messaging app that he was out of the country and could not respond immediately. An email to the South Sudan Media Authority did not receive an immediate response.