|
|  |
debate media Sudan english version
Janjo - 27.09.2002 19:53
Thursday 26-11-2002 there was a debate in the resistance museum in Amsterdam about the question whether and how media can contribute to a culture of peace in Sudan. This discussion was part of a congres about Sudan that happened during the peace week.
Organisers: Pax Christi, Cordaid, Icco. It was a benefit debate for Radio Voice of Hope, the only radio station in Sudan that is not owned and controlled by the Khartoum government.
For the last 19 years there is a civil war between North and South Sudan. In this war the inhabitants of South have been made more and more victims. The Sudan People liberation Army stopped being a symmetric party since the Khartoum government imported and produced high tech weapons that they can afford cause of Western and Chinese companies who invest largely in oildevelopment in Sudan.
The governments weapons and their own and other sponsored militias are used to depopulate more areas for oil development.
There are peace talks between the government in Khartoum and the SPLA (Sudan Peoples Liberation Army). But during the peace talk the fighting goes on in the oilrich areas.
The debate in Amsterdam was about
.what to demand in peace negotiations.
.what is journalism like in South Sudan and how can it be improved?
. whats the task of European journalists and governments and civilians to improve peace chances?
An important voice in the debate is K. Lindijer, who writes for decades about Africa. He'd rather see a lot of Dutch people going to Sudan to listen to the stories of inhabitants instead of sitting here talking about Sudan.
He states that famine is often worse and lasting longer in regions where there is no freedom of press. He doesn't think journalism has improved the peace process.
Civilians in north and south live in different cultures, there is a huge gap ( almost a Berlin wall) between their values and opinions. Its gonna take a lot of changes before they can trust eachothers.
His statement that there is almost no media in South Sudan is critisised as well by the present journalist of the Khartoum monitor as by several people in the audience.
Though the Khartoum government owns 16 radiostations all calling for jihad against the inhabitants in the South, there is an alternative radiostation.
Voice of Hope enables Southerners to hear news that's not Khartoum Government propaganda, but that suits the culture of the inhabitants more.
The journalist of the Khartoum Monitor expresses examples of the lack of press freedom and what that means for a journalist.
He's been in jail for writing an article in which he critisised the governments decision to build the weapon factory south from Khartoum. He wrote that it would be wiser to build facilities for civilians like hospitals or schools. He was sent to jail for writing this. In spite of immense government propaganda and controll he still manages to write critical articles in the khartoum Monitor. The newspaper is well known to all people in North and South. Allso by government leaders in Khartoum. They buy it. Everybody knows it. People in the south who can read read it to their family members who cannot.
" How can you say media have a key position to democracy in Sudan?" a Sudanes man asks desperately. " People have no food, there are no schools, the majority in South Sudan don't read or write. Whats media supposed to mean to them and do for them?"
Another important problem is mentioned: Women have even less posibility to listen to radio because many men keep the radio to themselves.
All agree that there is a structural lack of information about Sudan in Europe. Europe pays much more attention to for example the middle east than to Africa.
Important is that more Western journalists go to Africa and report the voices of the people, cause the info coming from western sources is limited.
O yes, and Dutch politicians do close their eyes for the situation in Sudan and their responsibilities for it.
Talisman Greater Nile, a Canadian oil company has a Dutch part of the company too. This means the Dutch state gets a lot of money out of oil development in Sudan. While there is a worldwide campaign to stop oil development until there is lasting peace.
Around juli 2002 a question in parlament was put to minister Herfkens about this oil company. Het answer was that Talisman was doing good things in Sudan, and that they created facilities for the people. What she said is in no way true. Obsevers of Ecos have discovered time after time that areas have been depopulated, people chased and murdered, or living in hunger and poverty because of oil development in Sout Sudan ( Western Upper Nile, Ruweng County)
It is important that civilians put pressure on the Dutch government that they should speak with Khartoum to stop killing for oil, and to stop abuse of human rights. They have to demand from Khartoum that there should be freedom of speach and press in Sudan, and free acces for aid flights and workers to the areas where there is the need.
Refugees from South Sudan do their best, together with pax christi and others, to ask attention for the situation in the country where they come from. They did a peaceful demonstration, and a manifestation at the front door of Talisman in the Atrium in Amsterdam WTC. They went to the ministry for foreign affairs too.
Its time Dutch people and others help them in putting pressure on the government to demand a life and freedom for people in South Sudan.
|
| Read more about: militarisme | | supplements | | |
