A South Sudanese civil society organization has named Radio Tamazuj as one of the winners of its first Inter-Communal Violence Prevention Award (IVPA).
In a statement, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) said the news service was selected for its “outstanding consistent” reporting and following up on inter-communal violence incidences in 2018.
The IVPA, CEPO stated, is designed to appreciate and congratulate the tireless work of media houses and the individuals who contributed to prevention and halting of inter-communal violence.
“CEPO congratulates winners of the 1st IVPA. IVPA award is an independent award based on CEPO’s internal procedures for awarding institutions, individuals and non-governmental organizations’ efforts on addressing inter-communal violence across the country,” CEPO’s executive director, Edmund Yakani said Monday.
CEPO, he stressed, has since 9 July 2011, been campaigning to prevent as well as end inter-communal violence in South Sudan.
According to CEPO, inter-communal violence led to loss of 510,000 independently verified human lives, saw properties worth 2, 300,000 South Sudanese Pounds (about 100,000 USD) destroyed, 139,000 families displaced and more than 189 children abducted in 2018.
The civil society group said it has declared 2019 to be a year of “practical and action-oriented campaigns on prevention and stoppage of inter-communal violence”.
“Among the key actions for the campaign will be rewarding media and journalists who are consistent in reporting on inter-communal violence,” said CEPO’s executive director.
“Their consistency has generated pressure on parliamentarians at state and national level for effective parliamentary decisions for prevention and stoppage of inter-communal violence,” he added.
Also declared winner of the IVPA was Boma state lawmaker Jodi Jonglei, who became its first ambassador. CEPO also named Eye Radio and Catholic Radio Network as winners of the award.
The IVPA award will be handed over to recipients on 20 February, 2019 at a public ceremony, CEPO disclosed.