Tijwog Agwet has confirmed that the state minister of information has lifted the suspension yesterday and handed back the keys to the station.

“Yeah, it opened yesterday [Tuesday]. The minister ordered the reopening on Monday but I was late to go and get the keys, so I went yesterday [Tuesday] morning and picked up the keys and opened the radio,” Agwet told Eye Radio.

The reopening of the radio station puts an end to a week-long dramatic spat between the media, the state government, and the media regulators.

Last week, Radio Jonglei was placed on an indefinite suspension by the state government after allegations that it censored an SPLA Day speech by Governor Denay Chagor.

Government spokesperson John Samuel Manyuon accused the station of not following news bulletin protocol and undermining the state leadership.

Manyuon claimed the station intentionally infringed the government protocols during the 16 May Day celebrations.

The Media Authority, a body tasked with mediating issues between the government and the media, wrote to the state government demanding a prompt reopening of the radio station.

Meanwhile, the CEO Tijwog came out to apologize to the state authorities and described the issue as a mistake.

He then suspended four of his staff members John Achiek Mabor, Majok Guet, Matuor Mabior and Deng Gai, pending an investigation.

The suspension was protested by the Union of Journalists in South Sudan which called on Tijwok to lift the suspension or risk being sued in court.

Meanwhile, Agwet has now revealed that the matter has been solved amicably.

He also says four staff that he suspended following the closure of the station have been reinstated with the exception of one person.

“We have already finished the investigation with the exception of one person who is not here, he is in Juba. But the rest, we finished their investigation and they are now back to work,” said Agwet.

He also said he made the editorial board apologize before reinstating them to work.

Radio Jonglei was established in 2010 as part of the network of community radio stations across the country.

It is the first local radio station in the state and was supposed to be independent and owned by the community.