Sudan: Hala 96 radio resumes operations

After 46 days of being banned, popular zouth run radio station in Sudan, Hala 96.0 is now airbone.

The ban was imposed following a military takeover on October 25.

"On the morning of October 25th, all the medias and especially radios had their broadcast stopped. After that, we heard that some radios were broadcasting again except for Hala 96." - Abiy Abdel Halim, programming manager of Hala 96 recounted.

Not only listeners felt the impact of the absence throughout this period. The ban came as a big blow to workers at the station.

“I had the impression that I was a person who could speak but couldn’t. “Hala 96” production manager Khaled Yehia says, “It’s a sad feeling.” “, told AFP.

Several radio transmissions were muted despite Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s release from effective house arrest.

While the BBC’s Arabic service was banned, the information ministry declined to renew the license of Monte Carlo radio’s Arabic station, which broadcasts from Paris.

“With the exception of Hala 96, BBC, and Monte Carlo (RMC), all of the other radio channels were back on the air two weeks after the coup,” stated Abiy Abdel Halim, Hala’s programming manager.

“When we asked the authorities why,” he continued, “we were transferred to a military official who indicated there were directives from above regarding the station’s editorial line.”

On Thursday, Hala 96 was given permission to resume broadcasting.