In his first order as Secretary of State for Social Communication, Muniro Conté, announces that Capital FM “is authorized to resume its broadcasts in full”.
The minister explains that he “gave no effect” to the information note issued by the Inspector general of the then Ministry of Social Communication that closed the radio broadcasts, created and directed by a journalist.
The Secretary of State for Social Communication recalls that the information note that communicated the closure of Capital FM’s broadcasts had as an argument for the measure an alleged breach of obligations towards the State.
In October 2022, the outgoing government ordered the closure of 79 private radio stations, including commercial and community ones, accused of failing to pay or renew broadcasting licenses.
Some radios managed to regularize their situation, but Capital FM radio has remained closed since that time, even in the face of attempts to dialogue with the Government to find a platform for understanding.
After several demarches to the outgoing government, the radio, whose broadcasts cover only the city of Bissau, but is followed on the internet by Guinean communities in the diaspora, returned to broadcast, for a few days “without authorization”.
In addition to non-payment of license fees, the executive also accused Capital FM of having moved premises “without notifying the guardianship”.
The radio’s management has always said it is willing to negotiate the values, but also recalls the fact that the station has been attacked by armed men twice.
Capital FM radio gave voice to listeners who clearly criticized the actions of the Government and the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, a fact that Civil society organizations, namely the Guinean League for Human Rights and the Union of Journalists of the country, consider freedom of expression enshrined in the Constitution.
