The Union of Journalists in South Sudan (UJOSS) in partnership with UNESCO on Tuesday commenced a two-day electoral reporting training for over 30 journalists in Wau, Western Bahr el-Ghazal State.
The training focusing on the National Elections Act and the Bill of Rights as provided by the Transitional Constitution 2011 as amended (24,32), also brought together civil society activists.
It is also focusing on the Media Authority Act 2013, the Right to Access Information Act 2013, the regional and international legal instruments and democracy and the media.
Addressing the opening, UJOSS Vice-President Ajak Ater emphasized the need for equipping the participants with the skills and knowledge to report on the upcoming elections and hold those in power accountable.
“The workshop is about elections and as journalists; we have to be on alert waiting for the election coverage. We do not know if the elections will take place or not, but that is not our business. We just have to be vigilant,” said Ater.
“We have embarked on massive training across the country. We are only left with Yambio and Abyei,” she said.
“This training is funded by the UNESCO and we are happy for their support,” she added.
Western Bahr el-Ghazal State Information Minister Nicola Samuel welcomed the training in Wau.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to this important workshop to orient and train our journalists in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State on the electoral process. Thank you for bringing all the journalists together as well as the stakeholders to discuss the crucial aspects of the electoral process,” said Samuel.
Pamalia Romadan Adam, a participant, said the training would help her on her duties especially when reaching out to the civil voices.
“The training will help me to reach out for the voices of the citizens on the elections process because they need to know their rights,” said Adam.
Charles Andrea, a freelance journalist, said the training came at the right time when journalists needed the knowledge on election coverage.
“We need to be ready and be equipped with good knowledge to help the journalists on elections coverage,” said Andrea.
Andrea appealed to UJOSS to continue supporting the media houses in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State.
South Sudan has not held an election since it gained independence from Sudan in July 2011 and the country is plagued by violence, poverty and political disputes.
The polls are scheduled to take place this year, despite objections from several quarters, including the opposition SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Riek Machar. On July 5, the National Election Commission announced the December 22 election date.