The church-owned Hope FM 89.6 radio resumed broadcasting in Kajo-Keji town of Central Equatoria over the weekend.

The radio station, owned by the South Sudan Episcopal Diocese of Kajo-Keji, was shut down in 2016 when the war spread to the area. 

Julius Iga, the station’s manager, confirmed the development to Radio Tamazuj yesterday.

“The radio is on and we open at 5 am and switch it off at 10:30 pm and at the moment we broadcast peacebuilding programs, youth programs, and other current affairs and community development programs,” Iga said.

Bishop Emmanuel Mure of Kajo-Keji Diocese said that the radio lacks proper equipment such as microphones, a high antenna mast, and a studio room. 

“In the studio, we don’t have good microphones, a professional mast and also proper office rooms for the station because currently, we are running the station in one of the offices. We are calling on partners and donors to support us since it is the only radio serving the community, the government, the NGOs, and the church here in Kajo-Keji County,” Bishop Mure said. 

He said currently the station is covering all the far-flung villages of Kajo-Keji such as Liwolo, Nyepo, Ajio, and Kangapo.

The Kajo-Keji County press secretary, Charles Wani, said the FM station will help promote access to information, peaceful co-existence, and countering misinformation in the area.

“The radio is serving a very important role in areas of information sharing, peaceful co-existence, dissemination of the revitalized peace agreement and it will also help mobilize the IDPs and the refugees to return home and the radio will help to clear misinformation,” Wani said.

Before the outbreak of the conflict in 2016, Kajo-Keji County had three local radio stations- Grace FM, Kajo-Keji FM, and Hope FM.