Changing the narrative of South Sudan through Media.
Changing the narrative of South Sudan through Media. A team from the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Uganda embarked upon an initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan to promote South Sudan’s visibility in trade and economic development within the region. The initiative aims to shed more light on the investment opportunities in the country and on the forthcoming General Elections scheduled for December 2024. Ugandan media houses were engaged in a 5-day media tour from 11th – 15th March 2024 to showcase South Sudan’s significant achievements and highlight its potential as a key player in the East Africa. Media houses such as the East African, KFM Radio, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), Nile Post, NTV Uganda, Capital FM, Umoja Online, New Vision and Daily Monitor Newspapers took part in this mission. H.E. Ambassador Simon Juach Deng, the Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Uganda and non-resident Ambassador to Rwanda and Burundi emphasized rewriting South Sudan’s history to change the negative perceptions of the Country. He expresses his gratitude to the Uganda Media houses for coming to project a positive image of the country. H.E. Amb. Simon Juach and H.W. Flora Gabriel Modi, Juba City Mayor, toured the journalists around the Capital City where they visited Trinity Energy Petroleum Depot Complex, South Sudan’s media houses such as Eye Radio and the national broadcaster – SSBC, and markets where different nationalities including Ugandan traders do their daily businesses peacefully. During the tour, the journalists had fruitful interviews with the senior government officials including Hon. Ramadan Mohammad Abdallah Goc, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan. The Deputy Minister assured the media that South Sudan is a safe and attractive destination for investors from within Africa and beyond. Additionally, the Governor of Central Equatoria State, Hon. Emmanuel Adil Athony encouraged Ugandan journalists to feel at home since South Sudan is their second home and to promote the spirit of Pan-Africanism. He thanked the Ambassador for coming up with an initiative and stressed the importance of changing the narrative about South Sudan. Furthermore, Hon. Undersecretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, Dr. Yath Awan Yath briefed the media team on the preparations to cover the General Elections in December 2024. He elaborated more on the private media sector like Eye Radio and Miraya FM. The Ugandan media that visited the Country were impressed by the expeditious development of Juba city within 13 years since Independence in 2011.