The information ministry in Jonglei State on Tuesday reopened Radio Jonglei 95.9 FM, a private radio station in the state capital, Bor town after it ordered its closure for almost a week.

The station was shut down on Thursday last week for what the government said was contempt of protocols and prejudice by the station.

“We suspended them because in any public events having a guest of honour when you are there covering that, you need to respect protocol,” John Samuel Manyuon, the state information minister charged. “Because when you are leaving out speeches of the high profile people, especially the guest of honour, without a clear reason, then you start telling us that things shared are not in line with events. Is it the right of media to scrutinize speeches?”

However, Mohamed Chol Peter, the ministry’s director-general, on Tuesday afternoon without providing details told Radio Tamazuj that the radio station was back on air.

For his part, John Achiek, the managing director of Radio Jonglei, confirmed that they had resumed broadcasting.

“This (Tuesday) afternoon, the (information) ministry lifted the suspension of Radio Jonglei. We are now back on air. From the ministry, there were no conditions for the resumption,” he said.

Last Friday, the Media Authority which regulates media institutions in the country advised the authorities in Jonglei State to reopen Radio Jonglei, calling the closure an interference in its editorial policy.

“Procedurally, any complaint of media violations must be filed with the Media Authority, the regulatory body overseeing the media industry in South Sudan, in accordance with the Media Authority Act, 2013. Furthermore, authorities in Jonglei State are hereby advised to desist from interfering with the independent editorial policies of media houses,” Elijah Alier Kuai, the body’s managing director wrote.