Juba, April 18, 2018 (SSNA) — The government of South Sudan has shut down two BBC-run FM relay stations, claiming the two transmit-stations ignored government orders to pay their debts and threating to go to court if the BBC refuses to comply.
The BBC says it regrets Juba’s decision to deny its more than 400,000 listeners.
The South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) was told by a high-ranking government official who demanded complete anonymity for fear of reprisal that the true intention of the government is not “BBC debts,” claiming South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Micheal Makuey Lueth, is on a campaign to target any media outlet he sees as a threat to South Sudan’s government.
The official warned of more “suspensions and expulsions” of media outlets and journalists.