By Alex Digi
The Government of Western Equatoria State has warned media practitioners from taking side or being bias in their reporting.
The caution came this week during an event to mark the 16th Anniversary of the UN run Radio Miraya .
Radio Miraya is a national FM broadcaster established by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in June 2006 after signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA with the aim of disseminating peace and activities of the UN Mission across the Country.
And the Radio which airs on the 101MH FM Frequency almost covers all the 10 State Capitals and three Administrative Areas including other major counties in the country.
The Celebration was supposed to be on 30th of June but due to some conditions UNMISS in Western Equatoria State rescheduled the commemoration to 6th of June 2022 which was this Wednesday.
Speaking during the Celebration in Yambio, Western Equatoria State Minister of Information and Communication Hon. Isaac Mursal cautioned that the State authority will take legal procedures against any media who will take side in reporting.
“I am urging all the media practitioners in Western Equatoria and South Sudan at large to desist and avoid taking side in any article they go about, we know that this government is a Multi-Party Government which involved a lot of political parties so the media should not be affiliated to any political party while exercising their work” Information Minister Mursal cautioned.
He said any journalist who feel like to participate in politics should first resign from the media profession and stop reporting.
“Any journalist who will be found participating in journalism and affiliated to any political party, legal procedure will be taken against that particular journalist, because media is an independent institution which does not side in any political party” he re-echoed.
The Information Minister congratulated Radio Miraya for always participating in Peace Dissemination compared to other radio stations in the country.
“As we are marking the 16th Anniversary of Radio Miraya, I would like to congratulate them for the great work they have done in South Sudan, you have done a very great job by providing accurate information and dissemination of peace message to the people of South Sudan starting from signing of CPA and the current Revitalized Peace Agreement” Mursal lauded radio Miraya.
He however appealed to Radio Miraya to establish their boosters in Western Equatoria State so that every citizens get information through the UN radio.
Meanwhile the Head of UNMISS field office in Western Equatoria State Mr. Christopher Murengi said Radio Miraya plays a vital role where it informs, Educates and entertains the community as well as disseminates peace messages to the people across the country.
“We always see Radio Miraya play a key role which is to inform, educate and entertain as motivation talks and there is also callers in from all over South Sudan on what is happening and what the topic is about and this is one area where they always have South Sudanese talking to each other in the morning because they share their views over and across the country and it is amazing because that is what peace allowed” said Christopher.
“So what happens with Radio Miraya, it is disseminating peace messages, it is talking about a bright, durable and inclusive future in South Sudan where every South Sudanese is reaping and enjoying the dividends of peace” he added.