Hundreds of Juba's residents joined Radio Miraya at the Nyakuron Cultural Centre on 3 July to celebrate four years on the air.

 

The day-long celebrations began with a friendly football match between Radio Miraya staff and a local youth football team made up of Southern Sudan musicians. The youth football team won with a score of four to zero.

 

Addressing guests, Radio Miraya chief Claude Cirille noted that the station now has 15 transmitting sites across Southern Sudan. It also broadcasts on shortwave as well as NileSat (digital radio and television) across Sudan and streams online from the radio's website.

 

"Miraya's professionalism is reflected daily in Sudanese newspapers and other media, who pick up the information from Miraya," Mr. Cirille said.

 

During the evening programme, guests were entertained with traditional singing and dancing from different local performers, including Coozos Clan, Simon Kero, Nyachan and Afro Beats.

 

The UN Security Council mandate (resolution 1590) for UNMIS called for the formation of a radio station, primarily to inform the people of Sudan on the peace process.

 

However, the founders of Radio Miraya felt the radio should also help empower listeners, educating them on social issues like health and sanitation, said UNMIS Public Information Officer Valerie Msoka, one of the radio's founders who is popularly known as Mama Miraya by the Radio Miraya team.

 

"Radio Miraya has been a bridging tool for a country that was deprived of social amenities and infrastructure by a long war," Ms. Msoka said.

 

Radio Miraya has been key in sensitizing listeners about the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the census. It was also used for civic and voter education during national elections held in April. It is expected that the station will play a key role in civic education for the 2011 referenda.

 

"We've witnessed Radio Miraya crawl, stagger and finally emerge as a formidable media institution which is now a household name," said Radio Miraya show host Ladu Lomeling.

 

Radio Miraya was established by UNMIS in 2006 in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss non-governmental organization.

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