Radio Miraya - Sound of Sudan

"Miraya" is the Arabic word for "mirror", chosen as the name of the station to reflect the particular realities of both North and South Sudan. The project provides national programming with North and South variants mirroring one another.

Miraya offers its listeners the Sound of North and South Sudan 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Programmes are broadcast on 25 FM relays (Southern Sudan only) from Juba, regional capital of Southern Sudan, and from the Sudanese capital Khartoum in classical and simple Arabic, English and in local languages. Miraya also broadcasts 6 hours of daily short wave (SW) and uninterrupted satellite programming accessible countrywide. The Miraya fm website provides live audio streaming, news bulletins, interviews and programmes.

Teams in Khartoum and Juba, as well as correspondents and stringers in the regions, contribute to programming on health, civic education, gender issues, and political news. Special attention is given to programming for internally displaced people. Miraya also offers a platform for debates for Sudanese politicians, and call-in programmes allow listeners to ask questions to political and social actors of Sudanese society.

Freedom of Speech, Conflict, Democracy and Governance

Six years after the signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan, the security situation along the North-South virtual border remains volatile. Now that Southern Sudanese voted overwhelmingly to split from North by nearly 99% during the January 2011 referendum (whose standards were accepted by the International community), North and South must tackle delicate situations: governance, creation of two new Nations and the status of oil-rich Abyei region. Popular consultations in Blue Nile and South Kordofan started in January 2011. Populations of these to areas will assess the CPA and subsequently correct shortfalls in its implementation as a final settlement to conflicts in these previous war zones.

A Sudanese media survey conducted in December 2010 indicated that Miraya is the best known radio station in Southern Sudan. Many participants in both Northern and Southern groups were concerned about the potential for violence and were eager for information that would encourage individuals to work together and help promote a peaceful and successful future. Participants also said Radio Miraya is one of the few stations that provide information about rural areas, which many highly valued.


Radio Miraya won the UNICEF 2010 Media Award (Radio Category) for a report to mark the International Human Rights Day in Southern Sudan. Following broadcast of this report, which focused on a 15 year old girl, Viola, who was jailed for allegedly killing her neighbour, several children in the same case were released from detention.