Juba’s Catholic radio station Bakhita FM has resumed broadcast after being shut down by security services in mid-August.
The reopening was announced 30 October and transmission began several days later owing to technical issues.
Bakhita FM closed 16 August when security agents confiscated the keys without any warrant of seizure and held them for nearly a month, meanwhile detaining Bakhita journalist Ocen David Nicholas for four days without charge.
The government gave no legal notice to the Catholic Church for why it closed Bakhita FM, but explained verbally that they objected to some of the content aired on the radio station on that date.
Bakhita FM said at the time that David was arrested and the station closed for “balancing a news story about the fresh fighting in Bentiu, Unity State” with views from both the SPLA-Juba and the SPLA-In Opposition.
The management said the radio will from now on only focus on spiritual programs for the Church with a narrow space for news and political talk shows. This appears to be a capitulation to the security services, who demanded the Church only report on religious matters. “The government does not want us to continue with some political programs,” Bakhita FM director Albino Tokwaro said at the time of the shutdown.
Indeed, Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudo did not mention the role of security agents in shutting down the station, nor the arrest of David, when he announced the reopening of Bakhita FM 30 October.
“The main reasons for the closures were administrative, technical, and financial irregularities,” he instead claimed. “The committee has been working hard to put these irregularities in order as best as possible so that Bakhita radio should reflect the voice of the Catholic Church in Juba.”
Lukudo further said that Bhakita FM will reduce staff and undergo a “reform process” led by an unnamed “active directorice.” He also announced that a new board of governance for the station has been established headed by the vicar general and that Bakhita FM’s policy book is under audit.
The Archbishop appealed for emergency donations, predicting financial challenges for Bakhita FM in the next few months.
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