South Sudan shuts BBC stations over “unpaid arrears”
April 18, 2018 (JUBA) The authorities in South Sudan have shut down the BBC’s FM relay stations in the capital, Juba and in the town of Wau.
The decision, an official said, was taken after the London-based radio ignored requests to pay arrears, despite a reminder in January.
“On 22 January 2018, the minister [of information] wrote to them [BBC] cancelling the agreement and informed BBC to pay SSBC [South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation] all the arrears and come to negotiate the new agreement with SSBC, the media Authority and NCA [National Communication Authority], but after a month, they started giving conditions,” Magok Chilim, the director of SSBC said.
He threatened to sue the BBC should the broadcaster not pay its bill.
The BBC, in a statement, said it regret the decision to stop broadcasting “its news services to an audience of more than 400,000 in South Sudan”.
The broadcaster, however, said it was working hard to reach an understanding with South Sudan authorities to restore the service.
South Sudan, Reporters Without Borders said, still faces challenges, like censorship and harassment, which needed to tackled. In 2016, South Sudan ranked 140th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, falling 26 places since the start of a civil war in 2013.
(ST)