The United Nations’ Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), over the weekend concluded a three-day workshop on safety and protection for journalists and media workers during crises and elections in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State capital, Aweil.
The training, held at the Aweil Grand Hotel, brought together over 30 journalists.
Bol Akuar Gamar, the state’s acting information minister, advised the journalists to take precautions when reporting on critical matters and be constructive in their criticism.
“It is not bad to criticize the government officials, but there are some approaches you can use as journalists,” he said. If a journalist affects the personal life of a governor or president, it means you are causing injury to their lives, but if you are commending them for a job well done, it does not mean that you have breached media principles.”
For his part, Sidonia Daniel Dumo, a broadcast journalist who works for Aweil Radio and TV, requested donors to back such trainings so that the journalists fully understand protection and safety protocols ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 2026.
“Our recommendation to the organizations that support journalists is that we are heading to the election period and UNESCO should carry out intensive workshops so that those journalists who missed this opportunity may also benefit and be prepared to cover the polls,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chol Duang Dhel, the director of information in Aweil West County, lauded the organizers of the workshop for building the capacity of local media practitioners.
“We have understood the role and cooperation between journalists and government officials in gathering and disseminating information for public consumption,” he stated.