A South Sudanese journalist working for Maridi Radio FM-88.9 was briefly detained by national security officials today, multiple sources said.

The sources said Bakindo Stephen, the community radio’s reporter in Maridi town, was held for more than eight hours before security officials released him.

They pointed out that Bakindo was arrested on charges of reporting to foreign media.

For his part, Maridi’s Information Minister Peter Saki Silvan Malesh denied knowledge of Bakindo’s arrest briefly in Maridi town today.

Last week, the project officer of Maridi FM was also detained by national security officials before being released after spending one day in detention. He was accused of failing to send reporters to cover the state cabinet meeting.