Sudan
The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 marked the end of 21 years of civil war between North and South Sudan. Since then, IMS has been actively working in Sudan with its partner organisations. The overall objective is to support independent media and to promote Freedom of Expression, thereby supporting the peace process and the democratic transition in Sudan.Archive
- South Sudan: Building understanding between security forces and media
- Southern Sudan referendum 2011: Monitoring of media coverage
- Sudanese media ensure peaceful coverage of independence referendum
- Media mentorships in Sudan boost referendum coverage
- Journalists reporting freely from Southern Sudan referendum
- Sudanese media report: Hate speech and polarisation in electoral coverage
- Monitoring the coverage of Sudan 2010 elections
- Excited anticipation in Southern Sudan
- Support to media covering the Southern Sudan Referendum
- Launch: Unique account of Sudan election
- Sudanese media news agenda from 26 July - 2 August 2010
- Biased media coverage of Sudan's spring elections
- Sudan Elections Media Monitoring Report 10
- Sudan Elections Media Monitoring Report 8 - English
- Sudan Elections Media Monitoring Report 8 - Arabic version
- New move from government to stifle media in Sudan
- Sudan Election Media Monitoring Report 7 - English version
- Sudan Elections Media Monitoring Report 7 - Arabic version
- Sudanese media cautious in their use of hate speech during elections
- Sudan Media Monitoring Report 6 - English
- Sudan Media Monitoring Report 5 - Arabic
- Sudan Media Monitoring Report 5 - English
- Sudan media monitoring report 4 - Arabic version
- Sudanese media show restraint in coverage of elections
- Sudan Media Monitoring Report 4
- Media and security forces in dialogue in Southern Sudan
- Sudanese media welcome new standards of reporting
- Sudan Media Monitoring Report III, 1 April 2010
- Women lose out in Sudan election coverage
- A day in the life of a media monitor
- Sudanese media partial to ruling parties in election press coverage
- Second Media Monitoring Report of Sudan election coverage 2010 - ENGLISH
- Second Media monitoring report Sudan election 2010 - ARABIC
- Khartoum invitation 2010
- Sudan: Media will lead process towards transformation
- Sudanese journalists to cover first elections in 24 years
- Journalists in training to cover Sudan's 2010 elections
- Upcoming Sudanese election will put media to the test
- Report in ENGLISH: Journalism training in Sudan, 2009
- Report in ARABIC: Journalism training in Sudan, 2009
- Victims of Darfur crisis lose out in media coverage
- Report: Media coverage of the Darfur conflict in Sudanese and non-Sudanese media, 2009
- Southern Sudan leaps forward on road to free expression
- Sudanese media discuss future media initiatives
- Statement of the Roundtable on Medie Coverage of the Darfur Crisis, Amman, 28 August 2008
- Call to Arab media to give more attention to Darfur crisis
- Media in Sudan at a crossroads
- Sudan: Peace paves way for free media
- IMS eyes on Sudan
- Media in Sudan at a crossroads; Assessment and outline of a strategy for media support, 2007
Southern Sudan leaps forward on road to free expression
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Marking a potential milestone in access to information for Southern Sudanese citizens, the Cabinet of the Government of Southern Sudan last week passed the Right to Information Bill and the Independent Media Bill with amendments
Sudanese citizens will now have the right to get any information from the government, according to public statements made by the former Information and Broadcasting Minister, now Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Gabriel Changson Chang.
The Minister said that a commission responsible for informing citizens about their rights would be set up and accompany the already established media centre holding all government information accessible to the public.
New Independent Media Authority Bill
On the new Independent Media Authority Bill, the Minister said this would cover all media and would involve setting up a new authority to oversee the broadcast sector and manage allocation of frequencies for radio and TV broadcast. The independent authority will be headed by nine directors, including three women and will take over the responsibility of overseeing media from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The number of women may increase in future and the board may be subjected to debate in the Assembly over its performance.
Jesper Højberg, Executive Director of International Media Support, said:
- By passing these two bills, Southern Sudan is taking a positive step forward. The right to information and a free press are two essential elements in securing peace and stability in conflict-ridden areas. I look forward to seeing the bills implemented and making a positive impact.
International Media Support in Southern Sudan
International Media Support has worked closely with partners in Sudan since 2005 to draft and lobby for legislation which supports freedom of expression. The new bills passed in Southern Sudan are a direct result of IMS' work with the human rights organisation Article 19 and five other partners together known as "the Consortium" who will follow the bills closely as they now go to Parliament for ratification and to be signed by the Southern Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
While press freedom conditions in Southern Sudan are better than in areas controlled directly by Khartoum (www.Freedomhouse.org), security personnel regularly take the liberty of punishing media outlets for negative coverage. For more information on the media situation in Sudan, see the IMS report: "Media in Sudan at a crossroads: Assessment and an outline of a strategy for media support".
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