UN RADIO MIRROR BEGINS BROADCASTING IN THE SOUTH; NORTH

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001568 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINS PHUM ECPS SU SUBJECT: UN RADIO MIRROR BEGINS BROADCASTING IN THE SOUTH; NORTH STILL BLOCKED Ref: Khartoum 1559 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. While UN Radio has now opened in the South, UNMIS reports that UN radio broadcasting is still blocked nation-wide, in non-compliance with the UNMIS SOFA. End Summary. ¶2. (U) UN Radio Mirror went on the air for the first time on June 30 with live coverage of the inauguration ceremony for the UN broadcasting facility located on the west edge of Juba, behind the Customs Market. Considerable pomp and circumstance accompanied the opening, which attracted more than a dozen ministers from the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS),in addition to representatives from a half dozen diplomatic missions and a throng of Sudanese. ¶3. (U) The ceremony kicked off with a speech by Minister Samson Kwaje, who recounted the chronology of the radio station and complimented the UN for its cooperative approach to the project. UN Special Representative of the Secretary General Jan Pronk spoke next, emphasizing that Radio Mirror was the radio of the people of the South of Sudan, not Radio UN. He stressed that free and open media is one of primary guarantors of democratic governance, and praised the GoSS for showing its commitment to democracy by supporting the UN effort to keep the people of Southern Sudan informed about progress on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). ¶4. (U) GoSS President Salva Kiir spoke last, noting that UN Radio was one of four independent or non-GoSS stations broadcasting in various parts of Southern Sudan. He thanked the UN for helping improve communication outreach in the South, and said that the broadcasting facility would help promote peace and support ongoing GoSS initiatives to improve security and fight corruption. Pronk and Kiir proceeded to cut the ribbon to the main transmitter building. At various interludes in the ceremony, the police band blared out tunes, a refugee rap singer just returned from Nairobi sang a song in Juba Arabic about peace and justice, and a troupe of grade school dancers performed. ¶5. (U) Later, Kiir gave an interview to the new Radio Station, during which he stated clearly that President Bashir's position on UN rehatting was not the SPLM's. (Reftel) Comment: Radio positive development for the South; still blocked in the North -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The advent of Radio Mirror was an important event in Southern Sudan, where feeble media coverage has been an impediment to keeping the rural population informed about the CPA, as well as what is happening in the larger world. Until now, even in Juba, the putative capital of the South, depended largely upon a modern town crier, a dilapidated car with a loudspeaker lashed to its roof, for much of its information. Radio Mirror, broadcasting 24 hours a day in English, Arabic and other local languages on FM 101, will fill an important information gap. ¶7. (SBU) As Pronk noted, Radio Mirror (also know as "Miraya FM") will work to support the unity option as set forth in the CPA. Kiir reportedly expressed hope that UNMIS would extend its services to other Southern states. With regard to Sudan's obligations via the UNMIS SOFA to permit UN radio throughout the country, Pronk's deputy, Taye Zarihoun, confirmed to us that the UN finally decided to approach the GOSS separately on UN radio, since the government in Khartoum was not budging on its opposition to UN radio nation-wide. HUME