Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Juba (Agenzia Fides) – Rumbek Catholic Radio Good News FM-89 resumed its normal broadcast yesterday after being ordered to go off by the Lakes State government on June 28.
According to what the website of the Catholic Radio Network reported, the Administrator of the Diocese of Rumbek, Fr. Fernando Colombo said that the Minister of State of Information has authorized the station to reopen.
It was the Minister himself who had ordered the suspension for an alleged lack of necessary authorizations.
The South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHURSA), cited by Sudan Tribune, said that the suspension of Catholic radio station represents "an attack on the heart of the South Sudan’s Constitution", which guarantees freedom of expression. The Human Rights group accused the Minister of Information of abusing his powers, not following the law and acting outside his mandate.
Fr. Colombo has described as false and misleading media reports the station was closed for spreading political messages.
According to Sudan Tribune, the radio has been authorized to broadcast again after the station program manager, Peter Mapuor Makur Malith, was suspended without an apparent reason. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 03/07/2013)
