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Local Journalists Help Citizens Deal with Confusion and Tensions Leading up to the Sudan Referendum

A Sudanese journalists conducts and interview during an Internews workshop

Gordon Mangum/Internews

Internews held an intensive three-day workshop for the reporters at Nhomlaau FM in Malualkon to ensure that journalists have the information and skills to report on all aspects of the referendum process.

(January 7, 2011) On January 9, southern Sudanese citizens will vote either to form an independent nation or to remain part of a united Sudan.

“It is the first time for my community to have a referendum so it is important for them to be educated and well informed of the steps that they will need to follow,” says Nhomlaau FM reporter, James Keer Noon. “If they understand the forthcoming referendum well, then they will be able to make the right decision either to vote for unity or separation.”

To ensure that journalists have the information and skills to report on all aspects of the referendum process, Internews held an intensive three-day workshop for the reporters at Nhomlaau FM (“Freedom” in Dinka) in Malualkon, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State; as well as a Reporting for Peace training at Voice of the Community radio in Kauda, Southern Kordofan State.

Explaining Details of the Referendum

At the beginning of the Nhomlaau FM workshop, reporters interviewed a diverse selection of community members to find out exactly what the people understood about the referendum, and alternatively, what questions they had. The interviews revealed strong opinions on the overall issue of separation versus unity, but little knowledge of the referendum process itself.

Based on these interviews, the staff created a series of public service announcements (PSAs) about important details such as voter eligibility, how to register, and how to vote. The PSAs also explained the differences between the referendum for southern Sudanese to choose separation or unity, and the concurrent referendum for residents of the Abyei border region to choose whether to belong to northern or southern Sudan.

Presenting a Balanced View

Among the community members interviewed, there was nearly unanimous support for separation; however, the reporters acknowledged that many in the community, including members of Sudan’s official governing National Congress Party (NCP), are unwilling to speak about unity for fear of reaction from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) or other community members. Staff discussed alternative and safe ways to present a balanced view of both unity and separation.

“We have anticipated that problems may arise when unity and separation campaigns get tough and that this could lead to conflict,” said Nhomlaau FM Assistant Radio Station Coordinator, Hou Akot Hou. “Smart reporting and balanced stories may help to work things out.”

Fostering Peace

Several of the interviews also indicated tensions between those who consider themselves Southerners and those who are of Arab descent. In light of the minority northern Arab population living in Malualkon, the staff discussed the importance of conflict sensitive reporting, particularly while contentious post-referendum issues such as citizenship remain unresolved. Reporters looked at pre- and post-referendum scenarios in order to develop programs that could foster the peaceful coexistence of all community members, regardless of the referendum’s outcome.

“I learned that as a reporter I need to be courageous and be well informed of the role of the community, political parties and other groups that the referendum will involve,” said Noon.

Southern Kordofan – Grappling with Feelings of Betrayal

Most of the people in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) during the civil war in Sudan which lasted over 21 years. Yet the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), drawn up in Kenya by the NCP and the SPLM doesn’t give the people of the state via the popular consultation process the option of joining southern Sudan despite fighting alongside the Southerners.

Until recently, most citizens didn’t understand this due to the limited information about it.

At the beginning of the three day reporting for peace training in Kauda, Rashid Ali, a youth leader and volunteer for Voice of the Community 88FM, said, “As a young person who has seen war, I would have loved to see the right of a referendum given to Southern Kordofan. Now we are being told that Abyei will be able to join the South yet they are part of our state. What I think will happen now is we will grab our guns and go back to war to fight for our right, which will be to also become independent.”

A Journalist’s Responsibility

At the end of the training, Rashid’s sentiments had changed. “I appreciate having been part of the reporting for peace training, because now I know that as a volunteer at the station I cannot air my personal views. Having also watched the film on the Rwandan genocide during the training I saw how influential radio can be. I don’t think I want to see us go back to war and especially being held responsible as a journalist for making it happen.”

Walid Ali, station manager for Voice of the Community says that the station will work hard to ensure that there will be no reports aired by the station that will incite the community.

“We are a community radio station and everything that we say is taken very seriously. We know that at the moment the people in the community are not happy with the pace at which the CPA is being implemented but we have to give them all the facts that we have and ask them to be peaceful. If we fail to do this then we will have failed in our duty as journalists.”

Internews’ project, “Radio for Peace, Democracy and Development in South Sudan,” is funded by the US Agency for International Development.

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