National security shuts down Radio Jonglei over alleged links to protest group  

JUBA – South Sudan’s National Security Service has on Friday closed down the popular Radio Jonglei station in Bor saying it is being used by members of the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA) to air out calls for popular uprisings slated for august 30, station manager Matuor Mabior Anyang tells Sudans Post.

Anyang said he was called earlier by members of the National Security Service (NSS) in Bor town and was told that they have received directives from the state authorities that the station must be closed down until further notice.

“I was called by the security officer to go and meet them at Park Palace and when I reached there, they told me that they were given orders from state authorities to close down our radio station. I asked them to give me the official document for closing down the station but they refused and instead ordered me to go back to the radio station,” Matuor told Sudans Post this afternoon from Bor.

He said after arriving back in the station, the security operatives followed him and completely shut down the station, confiscated phones, the office keys and then ordered him to follow them and was told that the PCCA is using the station to disseminate plans for the anti-government protests.

“When I reached the station, they came in a very big number and forced us to close down all our offices including the radio. They closed the studio including the production room and intimidated us to switch off everything. They took the keys of the offices and went with them. They confiscated my phone and that of the Program Manager and Editor-In-Chief and told us to follow them to National Security office,” he said.

“They told us the reason they close down our radio station is due to alert of an upcoming demonstration on 30^th of August and ‘we are suspecting your radio is allowing those people planning to protest against the government by airing out their voices’,” he explained.

Anyang further dismissed the national security claims and said he had asked the security operatives to provide a substantiated evidence to prove that Radio Jonglei was being used by the protest organizer, but failed to provide one.

“We asked them to give us evidence but they said that they don’t have anything to discuss with us regarding the matter,” he added.

Radio Jonglei FM was established in April 2010 with equipment donated by the Christian Missionary Church.