About us

Original and exclusive from on-the-ground. No spin, no activism, no babble. Hard news you can trust, cross-border reporting. Tamazuj means 'blend' in Arabic.

Purpose

Radio Tamazuj is a daily news service and current affairs program for the contested borderlands of Sudan and South Sudan. The purpose of Radio Tamazuj is to provide reliable and independent news and information. The station broadcasts daily in Arabic over shortwave (SW) frequencies.  The programme reports directly and independently on current local affairs and developments related to peace and conflict dynamics in the border zone.

To mitigate and prevent conflict arising from rumors, gossip and ethnic prejudices, Radio Tamazuj seeks to provide access to timely and reliable information for people in the so-called ‘Three Areas’ of Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, and for people in other frontier states. Independent information is an important human right, making professional journalism a tool for dialogue, debate and decision-making.

Meaning

Tamazuj is difficult to translate, but it can mean 'blend,' 'intermingling’ or ‘mixing’ in Arabic. The name was coined for the mix of cultures, languages, and tribes that span the borderlands between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. In their rich diversity, the peoples of the borderlands share common historical experiences, face similar ecological and economic challenges, and use a common lingua franca, Sudanese Arabic.

Coverage

Listeners anywhere in Sudan or South Sudan can receive Radio Tamazuj through shortwave radio (see ‘Frequencies’ page). The news and programmes cover the conflict-affected areas of Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile and all other areas contiguous to the border including Northern and Western Bahr El Ghazal, northern Unity State, northern Upper Nile State, far southern Darfur, and White Nile.

Programmes

Radio Tamazuj broadcasts its programmes in the Arabic and Dinka languages. The programmes are aired every morning at 7:00-7:30AM from Monday to Saturday. Arabic programmes are aired daily and Dinka programmes are aired weekly. Typical programme elements are a news bulletin, current events discussion, health segment, or social affairs discussion in the fields of education, culture or gender. Programmes contain news and information for and about refugees, returnees, and other conflict-affected populations. A complete programme archive since January 2012 is available on the website (see ‘Audio’).

Background

The work of Radio Tamazuj is carried out by a dedicated and professional team of Sudanese and South Sudanese journalists. The programme initially aired in June 2011 as a weekly radio magazine consisting of a 30 minutes Arabic language segment and a 30 minutes Dinka language segment. Radio Tamazuj launched daily broadcasts in Arabic on January 5, 2012 while maintaining Dinka programming on a weekly basis.