September 5th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan government has lifted ban on Al-Watan newspaper after months of closure, the Media Authority said in a statement extended to Nyamilepedia Wednesday.
Al-Watan Newspaper was stopped by the authorities in Juba early this year after reporting on then unfolding Sudan situation which led to the ouster of former president Omar al-Bashir.
Its owner and editor-in-chief Michael Christopher who fled before returning to the country shortly was arrested in Juba at the Juba International Airport while boarding a plane to Nairobi, Kenya.
He was released few weeks ago from a Nationally Security prison following globe pressure on the South Sudan government to lift restrictions on its private media outlets.
In a statement Wednesday, the media body said it lifted the ban and the newspaper as free to start as of today, September 5th.
“The Authority has therefore lifted the suspension and authorized AL Watan Arabic Daily Newspaper to resume publications with effect from September 5, 2019,” the statement extended to Nyamilepedia partly read.
