AMDISS Engages Parliament on Directives Restricting Use of Speaker’s Portrait

Members of AMDISS and officials of Parliament posing for a group photo after a constructive dialogue regarding restriction on the use of the Speaker’s portrait.

Juba, Thursday, 25 June 2026 — The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) held a constructive dialogue today with key officials from the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) regarding recent directives on the use of the Speaker’s portrait.

The meeting brought together Hon. Oliver Mori Benjamin, Spokesperson of the TNLA, Andrew Kenyi, Press Officer in the Office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, and Hon. Riek Maker.

This engagement emanated from the directives issued by the office of the Rt Hon. Joseph Ngere Paciko, the Speaker of the TNLA.

According to the Directive issued and published on the official Facebook Page of the Rt. Hon. Speaker on 23 July 2026, “All Media Houses are to use the approved official portrait in any coverage relating to the Speaker or their office.”

On 25th June 2026, AMDISS initiated an engagement with parliament, with the discussions centered on the implications of these directives for media freedom and the independence of editorial policies in South Sudan.

AMDISS emphasized that such restrictions undermine the role of the press in informing the public and compromise the principles of free expression.

The organization appealed to the Office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker to withdraw the directives, noting that they interfere with the professional autonomy of media institutions.

“As AMDISS, we urge the Office of the Rt. Hon. Speaker to withdraw these directives, as they infringe upon media freedom and interfere with the independent editorial policies of the media in South Sudan,” the statement reads in part.

The session concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen collaboration between Parliament and the media sector.

AMDISS highlighted the importance of specialized training programs to equip press secretaries with the skills needed to perform their duties effectively and responsibly.

This engagement reflects AMDISS’s ongoing mission to safeguard press freedom, promote transparency, and ensure that the media remains a vital pillar of democracy in South Sudan.