The International Press Institute (IPI) welcomed the news that four Ugandan media outlets were allowed to re-open in the capital Kampala after 10 days of police occupation, protest, and physical confrontations between journalists and press freedom organisations on the one hand, and the police on the other.

IPI urges the Ugandan government to respect the rights of the country’s media and allow the free flow of information, which is a crucial component in all democratic societies.

The Daily Monitor and Red Pepper newspapers, along with the radio stations KFM and Dembe FM, which are owned by the Kenyan-based Nation Media Group, were allowed to resume service Thursday morning according to local and international reports.

The Daily Monitor Managing Director, Alex Asiimwe told IPI that the newspaper’s, “feelings after 10 days of closure were simply joy that the whole situation had come to an end sooner than later” He added: “Of course there was a bit of bitterness that why did all this happen in the first place.”

Government security forces had occupied the four media offices since May 20 in response to a controversial letter written by the Coordinator of Security Services, Gen. David Sejusa, who is currently out of the country. The letter, which was leaked to The Daily Monitor earlier this month, discussed an alleged plot to assassinate government and military officials who were opposed to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s plans to hand over power to his son.

Kampala police said that the leak was a crime and that the media buildings were crime scenes and a magistrate’s court then issued the police with search warrants. According to reports in Al Jazeera, the government-owned newspaper, the New Vision, was the only English-language daily available during the siege.

Ugandan internal affairs minister Hillary Onek, announced at the government’s Media Centre in Kampala Thursday morning that the four outlets would reopen following an agreement between the outlets’ management, Ugandan President Yoweri Musevani and Police Chief General Kale Kaihura. Onek said that the media outlets had agreed to “only publish or air stories which are properly sourced, verified and factual.”

In addition the media outlets, “undertook to be sensitive to and not publish or air stories that can generate tensions, ethnic hatred, cause insecurity or disturb law and order,” Onek added. In accordance with these agreements, the minister ordered police to end their occupation of The Daily Monitor‘s office and allow “normal business.”

Nation Media Group CEO and IPI Executive Board member Linus Gitahi said that no special arrangements had been made, but that the government simply wanted a clarification of the group’s editorial policy.

“We took them through our editorial policy document and our structures and they generally felt they were sufficient and covered all their areas of concern,” Gitahi said.

“Of course they felt we are not adhering to our own documents and that’s where we restated our commitments to observe it to the letter…but it’s our own document which is public anyway,” he added.

According to the press freedom organization, Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda, Kampala police sprayed tear gas and struck a group of journalists on May 27 who were protesting the occupation outside of the closed Monitor offices. Three journalists were arrested and two were charged with inciting violence.

Asiimwe said that, “in spite of the regrettable action of the siege, police were pretty civil in their dealings.” “They did not break any property and also did not manhandle any employee during the search, though there were a few incidents of protests during the siege where tear gas and some force was used to disperse the crowds but without any major injuries,” he added.

The occupation, however, exacted large financial costs on The Daily Monitor. Asiimwe estimated that the newspaper lost over $60,000 USD per day in revenues, adding that they had “approximately 500 direct employees and their dependents who endured a period of extreme uncertainty and pain during the siege not sure whether they would have a job in the next couple of months.” Asiimwe said that the siege also greatly affected the income of about 3000 people (vendors, distributors, commission agents and others) in the company’s value chain.

A court in Kampala is now hearing a request from four Monitor Publications Limited journalists to cancel an order by police to produce an original copy of the controversial letter by Gen. Sejusa.

Lawyers for The Daily Monitor also filed a complaint in court challenging the legality of the police search. Journalists and civil society activists plan to begin protesting outside the courtroom and then march to the Monitor’s premises, local journalists said.

“We are pleased to hear of the Ugandan government’s decision to allow the re-opening of the newspapers and radio stations in Kampala,” IPI Deputy Director Anthony Mills said. “These outlets must be allowed to continue their work of informing the public without the threat of government harassment or intervention.”