Al Watan Editor-in-Chief picked by suspected NSS agents

JUBA – Michael Christopher, the Editor-in-Chief of Al Watan Arabic daily newspaper, has been arrested in Juba by suspected National Security Service agents.

According to a family member, unidentified security personnel picked him up on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

“Yes, he was arrested yesterday at 6:30 PM by security personnel. He is currently under detention at the National Security Service facility at Riverside,” he noted.

Relatives told this publication that they do not know who arrested Christopher or what the charges are.

“We are following up to find out who arrested him and on what charges. But we heard that he is in good health,” he said.

Christopher is well known in the region for his influential Arabic-language Facebook Live broadcasts, where he frequently comments on political developments and regional conflicts — most notably the ongoing war in Sudan.

He has recently openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the current Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro, and the managing director of Nilepet. Christopher alleged that Lomuro has failed in his duties.

“I believe Hon. Martin Elia Lomuro has succeeded as a community leader and failed miserably as the minister of cabinet affairs,” he posted on his official Facebook before his arrest.