A community radio station in the disputed Abyei region has received key broadcasting equipment that will allow it to resume operations after more than two years off air, station officials said Sunday.
Abyei Information Radio Services (AIRS), which operates Abyei FM, said the station received a transmitter, antennas and other broadcasting equipment donated by King Media.
The station has been off air for two years and four months following violence between the Ngok Dinka community and members of the Twic community of Warrap state. During the conflict, suspected armed men believed to be from Twic County destroyed the radio station, leaving residents without local information services, officials said.
Kurbino Dut, manager of Abyei FM and program manager at AIRS, thanked King Media for the support, saying the equipment would allow the station to resume broadcasting.
“We received broadcasting equipment including a transmitter and studio equipment for on-air and production,” Dut said. “The materials arrived on Wednesday and installation started on Thursday. We had hoped to go on air on Friday, but a connector problem delayed the launch.”
Dut said the station is expected to cover the entire Abyei area and parts of neighboring states once it resumes broadcasting.
He said community radio plays an important role in providing reliable information and helping to reduce tensions in conflict-affected areas.
“This is the only radio station in the Abyei region,” Dut said. “It will provide life-saving information to the community on livelihoods, health, education and peacebuilding.”
He warned that misinformation and rumors can spread easily in the absence of reliable information and increase tensions between communities.
“Radio helps correct misinformation and reduce violence,” he said, adding that the station is expected to resume broadcasting next week.
Juma Francis, managing director of King Media, confirmed the donation and said his organization was overseeing installation of the equipment and training for local journalists.
“We brought the equipment on Wednesday and completed installation on Friday,” Francis said. “However, one additional component still needs to arrive from Juba before the station can go fully on air.”
He said the equipment donated includes antennas, satellite equipment, microphones and a transmission system.
Francis said the equipment was provided through support from the United Nations Development Programme.
“We thank UNDP for supporting our proposal and providing the equipment so we can assist the community through Abyei FM,” he said. “We will also conduct training for journalists next week on how to operate the equipment effectively so the community receives accurate and verified information.”
Several community radio stations in South Sudan have struggled to operate in recent months following funding cuts from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which had supported media development and community broadcasting projects across the country.