Authorities in Eastern Equatoria state have shut down Singaita FM radio station in Kapoeta county, the Chief Executive Officer of the Radio Community has said.

Chris Marol says the station was closed by National Security in Kapoeta as per order from the minister of information in the state on Friday.

Singaita 88.3 FM is one of radio stations in South Sudan managed by The Radio Community.

Chris said members of National Security entered the station and asked the presenter who was reading the news to stop what is doing.

He added that security personnel also asked all journalists to leave the station without telling the reason.

“What happened on Friday evening around 6 PM, the National Security came to the radio station, some were outside and three entered into the compound and ordered the presenter who was reading the news to stop and come out of the studio,” Chris Marol told Eye Radio.

“They come with a padlock and locked the doors of both the production and on-air studios.

“They told the staff to leave but allowed the guard to stay and they left after, and when the staff went to find out what was the problem, they told them to Torit.”

Chris said when he contacted the state minister of information on the matter, the minister told him that he ordered the closure of the station due to what he described as a lack of cooperation between station management and the state authorities.

“I tried to find out from the minister of the information in Torit and I called him and he told me yes is the one who ordered the station to be closed because the management of the station is not cooperating with the government,” Chris said.

“I tried to find out in which areas the management is not cooperating, but he could not tell me, he just told me I should go to Torit on Monday so that he can tell me the reason.”