South Sudan Seeks to Halt UN-Backed Radio in Blow for Media

(Bloomberg) -- South Sudan said it will suspend a United Nations-backed radio station, accusing the broadcaster of failing to register with the war-torn country’s authorities.

The shuttering of Radio Miraya would be the latest blow for media in the East African nation, where three other outlets were recently closed or suspended. The UN, which has about 17,000 personnel in South Sudan, has had a testy relationship with the government since conflict erupted in December 2013.

The move comes after Miraya didn’t respond to “numerous notifications” from June to February to register, the media authority’s managing director, Elijah Alier Kuai, told reporters Friday in the capital, Juba. He said the authority is recommending the immediate withdrawal of the station’s frequency allocation.

Radio Miraya was still broadcasting Friday afternoon and staff didn’t answer calls seeking comment. The UN mission said in an email that it’s in discussions with the government.

To contact the reporter on this story: Okech Francis in Juba at fokech@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Pauline Bax

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