Radio Jonglei taken off air, again

Normal programming atRadio Jonglei (95.9) has been suspended for the second time in two years.

The station was taken off-air following a ministerial order signed by Minister for Information and Communication John Samuel Manyuon.

Manyuon said the the station undermined the leadership of the State in its editorial.

“I, Hon John Samuel Manyuon, Minister of Information and Communication Jonglei State, do, hereby, issue this ministerial Order No001/2022 for the suspension of Radio Jonglei 95.9 for intentionally supplanting and superseding the government protocols and undermining the state leadership,” the statement read.

“This order shall come into effect upon the signature by the minister today, May 19, 2022.”

Previous closure

This is not the first time the station has gotten into trouble with authorities. In August 24, 2021, it was closed by the National Security Service in Jonglei State.

They were accused of hate speech.

They suspension was later s lifted in September.

“We are back on air this afternoon, the radio was closed down because we broadcasted about the uprising of the People’s Coalition for Cavil Action (PCCA) on the 24th of August and that is the reason as to why we were closed,” Tijwog Agwet said.

“This has been the only radio that educates people on developmental programs, it was not easy, but we are now back,” he said.

The Executive Director noted that they had accepted their mistake by delivering an apology to authorities before the irder was lifted.

The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJoSS) had been advocating for the rights of journalists across the country.