Residents of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state are grappling with frustration after powerful winds and heavy rains brought down two radio towers, silencing key community stations in the region.
Akol Yam FM 91.0, which serves the entire state and parts of Warrap, has gone off air, leaving many without daily news and vital updates.
The storm over the weekend also toppled the tower of Nhomlau FM in Aweil East County, though the station had already ceased operations due to funding shortages.
Speaking to Standard Zone News, Mawien Aher Bol, a regular listener of Akol Yam FM, highlighted the impact of the outage.
“Without daily news updates, especially for those living near the border, we’re left in the dark. This situation negatively affects us,” he Aher.
Former journalist Ngor Deng Matem, who previously worked for Mayardit FM in Warrap state, warned that thousands of listeners would be cut off from essential information in their local language.
He urged the Northern Bahr el Ghazal state government to step in, citing the financial struggles of Akol Yam FM.
“I appeal to the state government under Governor Simon Ober Mawut to help restore the tower. Akol Yam FM lacks resources, especially after USAID South Sudan funding was affected during the Trump Administration,” he stated.
Akol Yam FM’s station manager, Angelina Achol, confirmed the destruction and described the moment she learned of the incident.
“I got a call from the security guard at the station. When I arrived, I saw the tower completely down. Nothing is operational, the radio is off because of the damage,” she explained.
Akol Yam FM 91.0 is one of six community radios supported by The Radio Community (TRC), formed in 2015 and funded by Internews. However, Achol noted that financial constraints make the restoration process uncertain.
“The cost of rebuilding the station’s tower is $200,000, and with the country’s economic challenges, we have no immediate options,” she said.
As residents anxiously await solutions, the destruction of these radio towers highlights the fragile state of community media in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, with urgent calls for intervention to restore vital information services.
