The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), with support from UNESCO, on Thursday trained 30 journalists from Central Equatoria State to prepare them ahead of the December General Election.
The workshop was opened by the Spokesperson for the National Elections Commission, George Lemi.
“Elections depend on the availability of information to the voters. The journalists should have freedom of expression and opinion. They should report fairly and accurately,” Lemi said.
UNESCO Country Director Julius Banda hailed UJOSS as an important organization that it collaborates with, urging journalists to continue to subscribe to it.
“UJOSS is an important organization, that is why UNESCO works with UJOSS, sorting finances here and there to support its works,” Banda stated.
“The work of UJOSS is going to continue with your continuous membership. Our appeal to you is to keep the spirit of unity and democracy in the union,” he added.
“A free media will help keep the elections free and credible. You journalists are the catalyst for development. Fair and independent reporting should be taken into account,” the UNESCO boss further remarked.
UJOSS Vice-President Ayak Ajak Ater hailed UNESCO for their support.
“We thank UNESCO for supporting UJOSS and other media institutions in South Sudan. This workshop will benefit the journalists from Central Equatoria State,” she said.
Central Equatoria UJOSS Coordinator Buga Alex Yusto highlighted the importance of training for journalists as they prepare to cover the elections in December.
“This is an opportunity for us to equip ourselves with basic elections reporting knowledge, so that we will be able to cover the upcoming elections,” he noted.