Unity state: UN conducts training for journalists ahead of southern referenda

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

October 28, 2010 (BENTIU) – United Nations Mission in Sudan has sent media trainers to Unity state to provide capacity building training local journalists ahead of the south independence referendum in January.

State Minister of Information and Communication, Gideon Gatpan Thaor, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the training was for reporters working in state radio and television.

Thaor said since he was appointed the first promise he made was to ensure local journalists received better training so they could work more professionally.

He told Sudan Tribune that 24 journalists will undergo three days of training in Bentiu the state capital.

Unity state has three radio stations. The most well known is BENTIU FM 99 which cover most counties in the state.

Unity State authorities will soon launch the biggest medium wave radio station in the South Sudan which will be reach all Southern Sudan’s ten states.

For the last three years BENTIU FM has been focusing on delivering messages of peace, reconciliation, health promotion and development in the state.

Training will also be held in the other nine counties of Unity state during after the referenda due to be held January 9, 2011.

As well as the vote on the future of south Sudan, the border region of Abyei will also vote on whether to join south or remain in the north.

Thaor called upon the international community especially those involved in the 2005 north-south peace deal, to help the two sides implement the remaining parts of the deal.

There are fears that failure to hold the referenda, which were the center piece of the agreement, or find a political settlement could result in a return to war.

(ST)