South Sudan’s government has suspended operations of Vivacell, one of the largest telecom companies in the country, according to a copy of the suspension notice seen by Radio Tamazuj.

Vivacell was launched in 2008 after Lebanon’s Fattouch Investment Group purchased South Sudanese company NOW (Network of the World) in 2007.

In addition to Vivacell, Kuwait’s Zain and South Africa’s MTN are currently operating in South Sudan.

Lado Wani Kenyi, Director General of South Sudan’s Communications Authority, told Radio Tamazuj that the international traffic of the mobile phone operator in South Sudan has been suspended today.

Lado further said South Sudan's National Communications Authority “will execute" the suspension of Vivacell’s normal operations in South Sudan next week.

Lado cited Vivacell's "persistent non-compliance and refusal to be regulated" under South Sudan's ministry of information and communications.

“They are not complying with some of the government regulations. The government has got certain policies, but Vivacell is using a license from Khartoum,” he said.

“The government has got a policy of having an international gateway. They are supposed to connect to that gateway, but they are not complying with it and the gateway project belongs to the ministry of information,” he added.