A momentous occasion unfolded in Morobo County as the community welcomed the launch of Iyete 87.7 FM Morobo, a community radio project spearheaded by the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO).
This development is part of the broader initiative known as the Reconciliation, Stabilization, and Resilience Trust Fund (RSRTF), funded by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund and implemented collaboratively by a consortium of organizations including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), CEPO, SPEDP, WPDI, and FCA.
According to CEPO Executive Director Edmond Yakani, The primary aim of Iyete 87.7 FM Morobo is to provide a platform for the community to openly discuss and address wide-ranging issues.
“The objective or the purpose of establishing this radio is because we want to create a platform that the community can use to share, and address their political, economic, and social issues,” he explained. “Of course, under the project, we realized that Morobo County lacks a functional radio station, so it was appropriate for us to include this radio station so that it can enhance our services of peacebuilding because we realized the challenge of passing messages to the community.”
“Only limited people receive these messages so we looked at how to amplify them and there was a need to establish this radio so that we can reach the grassroots,” Yakani added.
He urged for collective responsibility in managing and sustaining Iyete FM and appealed to UN agencies like UNESCO, UNDP, UNMISS, USAID, IOM, and IREX to contribute to the viability of community radio stations in South Sudan.
Yakani said the project cost USD 200,000 which was used for constructing five rooms in Morobo, renovating three rooms in Lainya, purchasing equipment, consulting engineers, and obtaining the necessary licenses.
For his part, Buga Alex Yusto, the Union of Journalists in South Sudan (UJOSS) coordinator in Central Equatoria State, stressed the importance of responsible journalism.
“This radio should be used to bring peace and we should start using words that can bring peace and leave the words of hatred,” he counseled. “Your programs should be tuned to peacebuilding. Do not assume to be a political journalist when you are not. That is why I want you to be critical in your programming.”
Meanwhile, Morobo County Commissioner Joseph Mawa called on the community to reject hate speech and focus on promoting peace and reconciliation. He also emphasized the importance of commitment to work among the radio’s presenters and editors.
Iyete FM 87.7 will have a broad reach covering all the payams in Morobo County and extending to Yei, kajo-keji, koboko in Uganda, and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The radio is expected to reach approximately 1,000 listeners daily, making it a vital medium for communication and community engagement.