A section from the diocesan youth centre in Rumbek stormed violently Good News Radio station on Saturday evening, demanding that all foreign staff leave the station, including the director, because they are occupying what they called “national vacancies”.
The youth’s mentors physically assaulted two female staff and the transmitter was switched off after the emotionally charged youth tried to vandalize the on-air studio equipment.One of the assaulted staff said some five young men came to her office, pulled her from the chair, pushed her out of the station and started beating her up.
She was rescued by a male staff who struggled to stop the attackers.
Another local staff that was in the on-air studio for a live call-in program was ordered to shut down the station. He complied with the request to avoid the destruction of equipment.
He said he was personally very disappointed with the youth’s behaviour.
The attack followed a letter issued on Tuesday by the diocesan youth executive asking the diocesan administrator to sack seven foreign staff with immediate effect, threatening to take the law into their hands on the fourth day if nothing was done.
The administrator, Fr. Fernando Colombo, was in Warrap mission, Warrap State, and did not know about the letter and the demands of the Catholic youth leaders.
All Good News local staff on Saturday evening gathered at the station moments after the attack and expressed their sympathy to their assaulted trainer.
They called security officials to deploy armed security officials and only left the station after the arrival of armed guards.
Vicar general Fr. Andrea Osman Okello strongly condemned the attack by the youth during the Christmas mass.
Good News Radio has remained off air and awaits the return of Fr. Colombo to Rumbek to give guidance on the way forward.