UN, IGAD Warn Hate Speech Could Threaten South Sudan Elections

As the December elections approach, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have called on South Sudan to strengthen coordination and early response mechanisms to counter hate speech and disinformation, warning that harmful narratives could threaten peace, social cohesion and preparations for elections. The call was made on Tuesday during the launch of a three-day workshop to establish a national multi-agency coordination platform to address hate speech and disinformation in the country. Beleteze Foretia, representative of the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, said inflammatory rhetoric, rumors and deliberately misleading information could undermine trust between communities and contribute to political and security instability. … He said the proposed platform should prioritize early identification of harmful narratives, coordinated preventive action and stronger links with existing early warning and response mechanisms. Radio Tamazuj