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| Radio Miraya | |
|---|---|
| Name | Radio Miraya |
| City | Juba |
| Area | South Sudan |
| Airdate | 2006 |
| Format | News, information, humanitarian broadcasting, cultural programming |
| Language | English, Arabic, Juba Arabic, Dinka, Nuer, Zande, Bari |
| Owner | United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) / Juba Monitor partnership |
| Webcast | FM; shortwave relays historically |
Radio Miraya
Radio Miraya is a public service radio broadcaster established to provide information, peacebuilding content, and humanitarian communication in the Republic of South Sudan. Launched with support from international organizations, the station has operated as a platform for civic information, local culture, and coordination among agencies responding to crises. It has been associated with regional media development initiatives and has aimed to reach diverse linguistic communities across urban and rural areas.
The station began operations in 2006 during the interim period following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and at a time of heightened international engagement by entities such as the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Development Programme. Early partners included media outlets and humanitarian actors from the United Kingdom, Norway, and United States, and technical assistance was provided by broadcasting experts linked to organizations like the BBC World Service and Internews. During the 2011 independence of South Sudan, the station expanded output to cover the referendum and nation-building processes, coordinating with institutions such as the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission and civil society groups. Throughout the outbreak of inter-communal violence in 2013–2014, the station functioned as a conduit for messages from international mediators including the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and for humanitarian information issued by agencies like United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Committee of the Red Cross.
Programming has combined news bulletins, talk shows, drama, and public service announcements. Content has included election-related coverage referencing bodies such as the National Elections Commission (South Sudan), health campaigns referencing World Health Organization advisories, and education segments developed in cooperation with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (South Sudan). Cultural programming has highlighted music and oral histories from groups such as the Dinka people, Nuer people, Shilluk, Azande people, and Bari people, while language services have offered material in English language, Arabic language, and several indigenous languages. The station has carried features about regional trade corridors involving countries like Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan, and has hosted debates touching on peace accords such as the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
Transmitters were originally sited in and around Juba with FM coverage intended for the Greater Juba area and shortwave relays aimed at wider national reach, echoing models used by organizations including the Voice of America and BBC World Service. Technical upgrades over time drew on equipment standards promoted by agencies like the International Telecommunication Union and technical suppliers from South Africa and China. Frequency planning complied with regional coordination involving International Telecommunication Union Region 1/Region 3 processes and neighbouring administrations in Uganda and Sudan. Power sources have combined grid electricity, diesel generators, and solar installations similar to projects supported by United Nations Development Programme energy initiatives.
Listeners have included urban professionals in Juba, internally displaced persons in camps like those recognized by UNHCR, pastoralist communities in Eastern Equatoria and Warrap State, and diaspora audiences in Nairobi, Khartoum, and Kampala. Monitoring studies by media development organizations such as Internews and academic researchers from institutions like the London School of Economics and University of Oslo have documented the station's role in disseminating life-saving information during crises, clarifying electoral processes, and providing a forum for reconciliation narratives championed by civil society groups including Civic Forum for Democracy and Justice affiliates. The station’s impact has been acknowledged in reports by donors such as the European Union and bilateral agencies including USAID and DFID (now part of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office).
Operational oversight has involved a partnership model with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan providing mandate and logistics, and local media partners supplying editorial staff and production facilities. Funding sources have included multilateral contributors like the European Commission and bilateral donors from countries including the United Kingdom, Norway, and United States of America, as well as grants managed by international NGOs such as Norwegian Refugee Council and Mercy Corps. Staffing has mixed international media advisers and South Sudanese journalists trained through programs at organizations like Thomson Reuters Foundation and Search for Common Ground. Governance arrangements sought to follow broadcasting ethics promoted by the International Federation of Journalists and regional press bodies.
The station has hosted interviews and debates featuring figures such as former heads of state and government representatives involved in peace negotiations, mediators from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, and humanitarian leaders from UNICEF and World Food Programme. Prominent South Sudanese journalists and presenters who have worked with the broadcaster have included alumni of training programs sponsored by BBC Media Action and BBC Academy initiatives, alongside regional media personalities from Kenya and Uganda. The station has also produced special series tied to national milestones like the South Sudan independence referendum, 2011 and to international observances such as International Day of Peace.
Category:Radio stations in South Sudan Category:United Nations Mission in South Sudan