South Sudan media regulator shuts down No. 1 newspaper over non-compliance

JUBA – South Sudan’s Media Authority has suspended Juba-based newspaper, the No.1 Citizen Newspaper, for allegedly not complying with media relations set forth by the government.

The newspaper hasn’t been published since Monday and an official of the independent newspaper said officials at the media regulator demanded to see their license, but they haven’t returned it.

“In the suspension letter they said, they wanted the license which we have given to them already, but now I don’t know why they are not allowing us to operate. To me there is actually nothing apart from what they demanded which we have given them,” the newspaper official told the UJOSS.

The management of the English daily newspaper says many citizens across the country are now calling them daily, asking why it has not been publishing since Monday this week.

Also in a telephone conversation with Juba Echo on Thursday, Mr. Sapana Abuyi, Director General for Media Compliance for South Sudan’s Media Authority refused to comment on the matter.

UJOSS President Patrick Oyet says his office is engaging South Sudan’s Media Authority to resolve the matter.

“We have started talking with Media Authority and we shall continue to talk. We will pursue them (Media Authority) for us to understand why they have closed the newspaper from operating,” Oyet said.