 |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | South Sudan, Sudan |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English, Arabic, Juba Arabic |
| History | |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Links | |
| Website | radiotamazuj |
Radio Tamazuj is a Netherlands-based [1] independent daily news service and current affairs broadcaster covering South Sudan, the southern states of Sudan, and the borderlands between the two countries. Since 2015 the radio has been in exile after its office in Juba was shut down by the South Sudanese national security service. [2]
The word "Tamazuj" has been translated from South Sudanese Arabic word which means ‘blend’ in Arabic. [3] [4]
Radio Tamazuj was launched in 2011 and initially operated out of the South Sudanese capital of Juba. In 2015, the government shut down its office, interrogated its staff, and deported foreign editors. Since then, the radio's employees have been scattered across Africa. [2]
Radio Tamzuj has been sourced for being one of the news analyzers by the Relief Web to provide information for public consumption and thus has been feeding the public on information for both local and international linkages. [5] Radio Tamazuj operates on shortwave during morning and evening time slots only, broadcasting in local dialect Arabic which makes it very easy for the local people to get what is being said which simplifies the message and informs the public. Radio Tamazuj also offers Voice of America--VOA broadcasting that encompasses the daily news from South Sudan in its bulletin. [6]
Salva Kiir Mayardit, also known as Salva Kiir, is a South Sudanese politician who has been the President of South Sudan since its independence on 9 July 2011. Prior to independence, he was the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, as well as First Vice President of Sudan, from 2005 to 2011. He was named Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in 2005, following the death of John Garang.
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army in 1983. On January 9, 2005 the SPLA, SPLM and Government of Sudan signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending the civil war. SPLM then obtained representation in the Government of Sudan, and was the main constituent of the Government of the then semi-autonomous Southern Sudan. When South Sudan became a sovereign state on 9 July 2011, SPLM became the ruling party of the new republic. SPLM branches in Sudan separated themselves from SPLM, forming the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North. Further factionalism appeared as a result of the 2013-2014 South Sudanese Civil War, with President Salva Kiir leading the SPLM-Juba and former Vice President Riek Machar leading the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition.
As of the early 2000s, Sudan had one of the most restrictive media environments in Africa. Sudan’s print media since independence generally have served one of the political parties or the government in power, although there occasionally were outspoken independent newspapers.
Wau is a city in northwestern South Sudan, on the western bank of the Jur River, that serves as capital for Western Bahr el Ghazal. It lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) northwest of the capital Juba. A culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse urban center and trading hub, Wau is also the former headquarters of Western Bahr el Ghazal.
The University of Juba is an English-language public university located in Juba, South Sudan. It was founded in 1975 under by the former Vice president of and President of Southern Sudan, Abel Alier Kwai. The university was temporarily relocated to Khartoum as a result of the Second Sudanese Civil War, and moved back to Juba in July 2011, after South Sudan obtained independence. It is the best ranked university in South Sudan.
Radio Dabanga (part of Dabanga – Radio TV Online is a radio and online news service that serves Sudan. The shortwave radio has been broadcasting since 1 December 2008. Current broadcasts last for a total of two hours each day. Radio Dabanga introduced an online radio feed in April 2023, broadcasting twenty-four hours a day. Dabanga also publishes its content on Satellite TV, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Depending on the medium, Radio Dabanga produces news in Sudanese Arabic and/or English. Shortwave radio remains the mainstay of the radio station; a high percentage of all Sudanese people are illiterate, a number that is relatively higher in Sudan’s remote areas and camps for displaced people. Many people here have no lifeline to the outside world other than telephone and radio, so it is Radio Dabanga’s mission to provide this. The radio programming is also carried on Dabanga’s satellite TV channel. Both the shortwave and satellite TV can broadcast without censorship and/or technical interference from within Sudan.
The States of South Sudan were created out of the three historic former provinces of Bahr el Ghazal (northwest), Equatoria (southern), and Greater Upper Nile (northeast). The states are further divided into 79 counties.
South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. Its population was estimated at 11,088,796 in 2023. Juba is the capital and largest city.
The mass media in South Sudan is underdeveloped compared to many other countries, including fellow East African states like Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Poor transportation infrastructure and entrenched poverty in the country inhibit both the circulation of newspapers, particularly in states located far from the capital of Juba, and the ability of media outlets to maintain regular coverage of the entire country.
David Yau Yau was a Governor of Boma State and the Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area of South Sudan. He was previously the leader of a Murle insurrection against the South Sudanese government.
The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and 10 others of attempting a coup d'état. Machar denied trying to start a coup and fled to lead the SPLM – in opposition (SPLM-IO). Fighting broke out between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and SPLM-IO, igniting the civil war. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight alongside the South Sudanese government. The United Nations has peacekeepers in the country as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Wau State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region, and was part of the former state of Western Bahr el Ghazal. Wau State bordered Aweil State, Gbudwe State, Gogrial State, Lol State, and Tonj State.
The Pagak offensive was a major military operation by the South Sudanese government during the South Sudanese Civil War with the aim of capturing the strategic town of Pagak and the wider Maiwut County from Riek Machar's SPLM-IO rebels. Since the civil war's beginning, Pagak had served as headquarters and stronghold for the rebels, and its loss was believed to possibly greatly weaken the insurgency. A large part of the government forces that took part in the offensive are members of the SPLM-IO, a break-away group from Machar's movement that is loyal to First Vice President Taban Deng Gai. Though pro-government forces managed to capture Pagak on 6 August, their attempts to secure the surrounding areas proved unsuccessful. As result, the SPLA-held corridor between Mathiang and Pagak remained unsafe.
Radio is the main source of news and information in South Sudan.
The Equator Broadcasting Corporation also known by its acronym EBC is the public-service broadcaster of Central Equatoria State. The organization is headquartered at Juba, the capital of Central Equatoria State in South Sudan and transmits on a frequency of 89.4FM and EBC TV. It was established by a gubernatorial degree in 2012 to perform the works of radio and television broadcast. With the existence of the media laws, EBC became the first state public broadcaster in the Republic of South Sudan.
This article lists events from the year 2019 in South Sudan
The Battle of Bor was one of the first battles of the South Sudanese Civil War, consisting of a series of clashes for the city of Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, between the SPLA and SPLA defectors under Peter Gadet, part of the force that would become the SPLA-IO. The city changed hands four times between December 18, 2013 and January 18, 2014, ultimately leaving the SPLA in control.
On 4 January 2018, SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual attacked the western parts of Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The raid was part of the South Sudanese Civil War. Once in Juba, the insurgents were reportedly joined by Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers who were loyal to deposed chief of staff Paul Malong Awan. Following heavy fighting lasting until early 5 January, the rebels retreated into the countryside. Even though Chan Garang assumed responsibility for the attack, both the South Sudanese government and the SPLM-IO condemned the clashes, with the latter claiming that its forces had not been involved at all.
Manasseh Mathiang is a South Sudanese musician and human rights activist. Having made a living as a musician for many years, in 2021 he was exiled from South Sudan for criticizing the government. In response, he began using his music to solely to promote activism and, together with other exiled South Sudanese artists, formed Antaban, meaning “I am tired” in Arabic. For his criticism of the government, Mathiang has remained a fugitive and is often forced to flee. He currently operates out of Nairobi, Kenya where he serves as executive director of Hagiga Ltd, an NGO aimed at promoting freedom of expression through art.
The Third Front, known as Tamazuj, is a rebel group based in the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan.