JUBA-Advance South Sudan, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on Friday conducted a training for journalists on transitional justice reporting in Juba.
The one-day workshop, which brought 25 journalists together, aimed at empowering them to promote victim-centered reporting and foster public understanding of transitional justice.
Speaking during the opening session in Juba on Friday, Mawa Maya, the executive director of Advance South Sudan, said training was a way of capacitating journalists on how to handle issues related to transitional justice.
“We work on transitional justice issues, engaging media practitioners, universities, and local communities, mainly to raise deeper awareness of transitional justice mechanisms,” said Maya.
He said addressing transitional justice is vital for preventing the recurrence of conflict.
“As we all know, the two bills have been passed into law, and I think it is high time that we bring in the media fraternity to be at the forefront, especially in reporting on key transitional justice matters.”
He said through this training, journalists would be able to gain insights on the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing Act, 2024 (CTRH), and the Compensation and Reparation Authority Act, 2024 (CRA), and how they work.
“We hope that through this training, we will deepen our understanding of transitional justice so that we can promote healing, reconciliation, and peace.”
For his part, Majak Daniel Kuany, Secretary General of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS), said transitional justice is an important issue that requires greater attention from journalists.
“Please give us your attention and good participation, as we are not here because we know more. As people always say, we need to learn from each other,” said Majak.
He underscored the pivotal role of journalists in promoting accountability and reconciliation.
“Learning is a two-way process, so you have valuable insights to share, and we hope that by the end of the day, we can say we have sensitized each other about transitional justice in South Sudan.”
He highlighted how accurate journalism is crucial for addressing South Sudan’s past conflicts and supporting peacebuilding efforts.
