News
Lakes state government shutdown Catholic Radio Good News in Rumbek
June 29, 2013 (RUMBEK) – The ministry of information and communication in South Sudan’s Lakes state shut down Radio Good News, a Catholic broadcaster in Rumbek, on Friday morning.
Lakes state’s military caretaker governor Matur Chut Dhuol, ordered his information minister, Dut Makoi Kuok, to close down the station which had broadcasted comments from the public critical of the government.
Since he was installed in January, Dhuol has introduced controversial security measures including holding suspects without trial or access to lawyers in military prisons. Inmates who have escaped, bride their way out or been released have accused the army of torture and other ill-treatment.
Earlier this month Human Rights Watch said that “South Sudanese soldiers have unlawfully detained and ill-treated more than 130 civilians since February 2013 in response to armed violence and inter-communal fighting in Lakes state.”
Peter Mapuor Makur Malith, the program manager of Radio Good News FM-89 said that government had summoned them last week to present their license to the information minister.
Maupor said that station had fulfilled all its legal obligations by having license and was broadcasting on frequencies approved by the national minister of information and broadcasting.
He said that the move to close the station was an act of censorship by the Lakes state government, which he said was threatening local journalists.
Radio Good News registration 2012Despite providing their broadcasting license and details of their programming, minister Kuok still decided to shutdown the radio station.
Mapuor said that “Lakes State ministry of information and communication has shut down Good News Radio from broadcasting saying it will only open after providing a license and a certificate of broadcasting from the national ministry of information and broadcasting in Juba”.
“The minister perused the documents and asked us a few questions and promised to report his findings to the Council of Ministers during which the Council would discuss and decide the destiny of the radio” station, Mapuor said.
Radio Good News frequency certificate – 10 July 2006Mapuor explained that “In 2010, the then national ministry of legal affairs and constitutional development issued the Catholic Radio Network a certificate of registration. That certificate of registration is what the eight sister networks of CRN [Catholic Radio Network, which was used] all over the country without friction. Radio Good News has also been using it for operation in the last three years to the present.”
Following the order, Radio Good News has taken itself off the air.
Rumbek Diocese Administrator Fernando Colombo, told CRN over the phone that minister Makoi made a generic accusation that the station was politicised.
Colombo said the Government complained about the news coverage on the death of a civilian inmate at a military prison and an interview on human rights issues with a state minister.
He added that “Radio Good News started broadcasting on 28th February 2010 and has never been on record for running programs that defame, falsify or contradict media ethics. The radio has seven trained reporters and another four undergoing in-house training.”
The radio station runs mainly civic education and evangelical programs.
Good News Radio broadcasts mainly in English and Dinka and reaches an area of 150km radius from a 60m mast in Rumbek. It reaches the eight counties of Lakes and parts of some neighbouring states.
(ST)
Lakes state’s military caretaker governor Matur Chut Dhuol, ordered his information minister, Dut Makoi Kuok, to close down the station which had broadcasted comments from the public critical of the government.
Since he was installed in January, Dhuol has introduced controversial security measures including holding suspects without trial or access to lawyers in military prisons. Inmates who have escaped, bride their way out or been released have accused the army of torture and other ill-treatment.
Earlier this month Human Rights Watch said that “South Sudanese soldiers have unlawfully detained and ill-treated more than 130 civilians since February 2013 in response to armed violence and inter-communal fighting in Lakes state.”
Peter Mapuor Makur Malith, the program manager of Radio Good News FM-89 said that government had summoned them last week to present their license to the information minister.
Maupor said that station had fulfilled all its legal obligations by having license and was broadcasting on frequencies approved by the national minister of information and broadcasting.
He said that the move to close the station was an act of censorship by the Lakes state government, which he said was threatening local journalists.
Radio Good News registration 2012Despite providing their broadcasting license and details of their programming, minister Kuok still decided to shutdown the radio station.
Mapuor said that “Lakes State ministry of information and communication has shut down Good News Radio from broadcasting saying it will only open after providing a license and a certificate of broadcasting from the national ministry of information and broadcasting in Juba”.
“The minister perused the documents and asked us a few questions and promised to report his findings to the Council of Ministers during which the Council would discuss and decide the destiny of the radio” station, Mapuor said.
Radio Good News frequency certificate – 10 July 2006Mapuor explained that “In 2010, the then national ministry of legal affairs and constitutional development issued the Catholic Radio Network a certificate of registration. That certificate of registration is what the eight sister networks of CRN [Catholic Radio Network, which was used] all over the country without friction. Radio Good News has also been using it for operation in the last three years to the present.”
Following the order, Radio Good News has taken itself off the air.
Rumbek Diocese Administrator Fernando Colombo, told CRN over the phone that minister Makoi made a generic accusation that the station was politicised.
Colombo said the Government complained about the news coverage on the death of a civilian inmate at a military prison and an interview on human rights issues with a state minister.
He added that “Radio Good News started broadcasting on 28th February 2010 and has never been on record for running programs that defame, falsify or contradict media ethics. The radio has seven trained reporters and another four undergoing in-house training.”
The radio station runs mainly civic education and evangelical programs.
Good News Radio broadcasts mainly in English and Dinka and reaches an area of 150km radius from a 60m mast in Rumbek. It reaches the eight counties of Lakes and parts of some neighbouring states.
(ST)