Radio Miraya at 20: documenting South Sudan’s journey through accurate and aspirational stories

JUBA - When Radio Miraya first went on air on 30 June 2006, Southern Sudan was emerging from decades of conflict and beginning to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. For many communities, the station's signal carried more than news. It carried hope.

Twenty years later, Radio Miraya has become one of the nation’s most trusted sources of information, reaching more than three-quarters of the country through a network of 32 transmitters. Along the way, it has accompanied its citizens through defining moments in the nation's history - from the 2011 independence referendum to periods of crises, peace processes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of listeners, schoolchildren, folk dancers, performers, and artists, including Emmanuel Kembe, gathered at Buluk Playground in Juba on 30 June to celebrate the 20th anniversary with music, traditional dances, school performances, and live entertainment.

One listener described finally meeting the presenters behind the voices he hears every day, telling them that their work matters and continues to give him hope for a peaceful future for South Sudan.

Through programmes like Miraya Breakfast Show, Nationwide and community outreach initiatives like Miraya on the Road, the station provides a platform for citizens to engage with leaders, discuss challenges and devise solutions.

"Miraya is not just a radio station for Juba, it travels to small towns across the states through Miraya on the Road, giving people a platform to share their problems and making their voices heard across the nation," said Patricia Okoed, Programme Officer and Officer-in-Charge of Radio Miraya.

The station's reach has been appreciated in remote communities, where access to reliable information remains limited.

"Your voices travel across our nation, helping unite farmers, herders and fishermen who live in our borders without access to information," said Patrick Nyarsuk, Central Equatoria State Minister of Information. "Radio Miraya has made sure that access to information is fulfilled through its contribution to peace and progress."

National leaders also acknowledged the station's enduring contribution to public information and social cohesion.

"For many South Sudanese, it is the only source of information," said the Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, Hon. Ateny Wek Ateny, congratulating the station's staff for "20 years" of informing, educating, and connecting communities while encouraging them to renew their commitment to truth, professionalism, and peace.

As South Sudan's media landscape has evolved, Radio Miraya has remained committed to delivering accurate, impartial, and timely information.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Anita Kiki Gbeho, highlighted the station's role in connecting people across the country. "Twenty years later, the station remains one of the most trusted institutions in the country," she said. "Radio Miraya crosses borders that vehicles cannot. It reaches communities that internet cables have not yet found."

She added that, at a time when misinformation and disinformation can fuel tensions and undermine peacebuilding efforts, accurate reporting and truthful storytelling are critical.

The day's festivities concluded with a friendly football match between Radio Miraya presenters and a team of local comedians at Buluk Stadium, where everyone returned with more valuable than a win: the appreciation of the communities they served and a renewed dedication to responsible and factual reporting.

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By Fares Aouadi