By Yang Ater Yang
The caretaker minister of information in Lakes State said that Journalist and the Security officers are not enemies.
This came after 30 journalists were trained on conflict gender sensitive reporting, Ethical, Accurate reporting, safety and Protection of journalists and reporting on constitution making process concluded on Friday at Hillview Hotel.
Speaking during the closing the Lakes State Caretaker Minister of Information William Koji Kirjok said security personnel are not enemies citing that they don’t work without the security and the media.
He said that the media is doing work of the government.
“So, I am your minister of information and I am for journalists in this state. You have your ministry and I am administering it as your minister,” he said.
Koji added that they pledged for the training of journalist in the state.
“When you are working professionally, guided ethnically then there are things that you are supposed to do as a journalist. What guides you is the training of this kind and you are supposed to be given a guideline and rules that guide you”. He said.
Meanwhile Julius Banda who is the UNESCO Country Director said that they are using particular series of training on reporting on constitutional making process adding that they are doing it because South Sudan is going through transition phase of the Constitution making process as it journeys towards general election.
He stated that the media prepares for transitions as break type of a milestone for the country.
“We don’t want to see the big force that may have fallen into other parts of the world where the media became an arm for the divisiveness and sometimes even hate speeches leading to tragedy, consequences like in the case of genocide in Rwanda” he said.
Banda stated that the reason for having moments with journalists was to exchange views on professionalism in reporting as impartial and biasedness is omitted.
He stated that the media is not one man’s mouth piece who wants to divide the country along tribal lines.
“We don’t want tribalism, as UNESCO we defend freedom of expression. We are not talking about those who use it for hate purpose like to divide people along tribal” he said.
For her part Marina Modi mentioned that what is learned has to be used for every daily routine in order to implement as they move the states and the country without leaving anyone behind.