Sudan Tribune wins award for referendum coverage
By Julius N. Uma
January 18, 2010 (JUBA) – Sudan Tribune, a French-based website that strives to promote plural information, democratic and free debate in Sudan has been recognized for its accurate and balanced coverage of South Sudan’s historic referendum.
The accolade was part of several awards given out by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) in recognition of the positive role media played in the coverage of the one-week long vote.
“The certificate is awarded by Government of Southern Sudan, Ministry of Information in recognition of the organizations which played an active role in the successful coverage of the referendum that occurred on 09-15-2011,” reads
Sudan’s Tribune’s certificate for recognition.
At a colourful ceremony held in Juba, the regional state capital, Barnaba Benjamin Marial, the Information and Broadcasting minister lauded members of the media fraternity for their positive contribution to the referendum process through positive coverage.
“I think you have all witnessed for yourselves that the real Southern Sudan, contrary to what has for long been portrayed by the international media. But above all, your reporting has helped to put Southern Sudan in the world map,” he said.
Over 1,800 journalists from 250 media houses were reportedly accredited for covering the referendum, which was a key part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA); the accord that ended over two decades of a bloody civil war fought between north the south Sudan.
Marial urged the media to focus on the post-war recovery efforts made by the semi-autonomous government over the past five years or so.
“As journalists, you need to know that we started from zero and have come so far in the past five years; what we have done in the short time was not done even for 50 years”, he said during the dinner organized for international media.
The southern government, Marial added, strives to guarantee freedom of the press and the media, saying these are fundamental elements for the socio-economic development of any democratic nation.
Also present at the event on 15 January was Gier Chuang Aluong, the Interior Minister, Joseph Lagu, the former vice-president of Sudan, Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, Chairperson of Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) Mustapha Biong, the Director General in the Information and Broadcasting minister, foreign dignitaries, local and foreign journalists, and others.
(ST)