Abyei Special Administrative Area

Ministry background

The Ministry of Information and Communications, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports is a newly established ministry in 2023, but its operational departments (Department of Youth and Sports – Department of Culture and Media) were departments under the ministerial name: Department of Education, Culture and Media Youth and Sports 2015 AD – 2023 AD, and in Specialized aspects of the modernity of this ministry with its specialized departments: the Department of Information and Communications, the Department of Culture and Arts, and the Department of Youth and Sports. It has reformulated its policies, specializations, responsibilities and tasks to keep pace with the policies, specializations, responsibilities and tasks of the federal ministries from the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications and the Federal Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, which made it strive to develop policies and plans. Which meets the needs of the media, cultural, sports and youth sectors, along with the implementation of various programs and activities in line with the aspirations of the target groups and to meet their multiple and diverse needs, through which the Ministry approves the implementation of state policies in all its fields in line with the states strategic plan towards its strategic goals.

Ministry’s Policies

The Ministry of Information, Communications, Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports is the mirror that reflects the policies of the government and the state in the fields of media, communications, culture, youth and sports in planning and implementing the interests of society in accordance with society’s priorities in these areas through the applicable laws, through the following policies: –

  • The Ministry’s policies towards media and communications:
  1. Implementing state messages and policies using targeted visual, audio and print media, with coordination and control of other non-governmental media towards achieving the good interests of society.
  2. Media awareness of issues: political, social, economic, cultural, youth, and sports in the Area in accordance with ASAA policies.
  3. Contributing to raising citizen’s concerns and enlightening local public opinion, regional public opinion, and international public opinion in the current emerging situation in all fields.
  4. Developing the segment of media professionals and advancing them in order to perform their duties to the fullest extent, professionally and impartially.
  5. Monitoring all media outlets and houses in order to ensure neutrality and freedom of expression and not to violate the ethics of the journalistic profession and to deviate from the press law stipulated in the National Constitution of the State of South Sudan.
  • The Ministry’s policies towards Culture and Folklore: –
  • Preserving cultural gains and developing expertise and skills that represent the most important elements of sustainability to support urbanization, achieve sustainable community peace, support cultural and artistic activities, produce knowledge, and preserve tangible and intangible heritage.
  • Encouraging artistic movements and increasing awareness of educational and social roles in partnership with cultural and artistic institutions in order to achieve civilizational progress.
  • The Ministry’s Policies towards Youth and Sports: –
  • Gathering the energies of youth around development goals and general principles of the state and devoting the values and concepts of national unity.
  • Supporting moral and spiritual values, developing the spirit of loyalty to the homeland, and preserving public property.
  • Promoting young people athletically, socially and culturally, and highlighting a role in performing their duties.
  • Creating a developed sports movement in the area and expanding its base to include all of its districts to be able to represent the ASAA in an honorable manner and in all national forums.
  • Building youth and sports facilities and providing them with the necessary capabilities to ensure the achievement of their desired goals.
  • Developing the spirit of brotherhood, cooperation and friendship between states, especially brotherly and friendly states, through youth and sports meetings.

Tasks, responsibilities and powers of the Ministry (Frameworks)

  • First: The tasks, responsibilities and powers of the Ministry in the field of Media and Communications:
  • Editing and publishing news and reports about ministries in the ASAA and their affiliated formations on websites and official national and international newspapers, as well as publishing them in the media after they have been audited technically and linguistically.
  • Preparing television reports on the activities of the Ministry and its affiliated formations and sending them to national and international television channels.
  • Issuing the ministry’s newspaper.
  • Issuing a magazine for the Abyei Area.
  • Delivering regional news in the cultural, media, youth and sports fields to national newspapers for publication, national television for broadcasting, as well as local and international radio stations.
  • Approving and monitoring the visual, audio and electronic media houses of the Abyei Area and operating inside and outside it in accordance with the policy and direction of the state.
  • Delivering news to the official website of the ASAA.
  • Addressing rumors that limit the role of government institutions in society and refuting them with all available means of communication.
  • Facilitating the mission of the media in the region.
  • Media follow-up of what is published against the administration and the people of Abyei in the media and foreign media, including news, comments, and topics about Abyei, analyzing them, and following up on the preparation of responses with specialists.
  • Archiving government activities.
  • Issuing data in the name of the ministry about the administrative government.
  • Receiving incoming media mail via email from the ministries via the ministry’s official website.
  • Proposing plans and programs in the field of external media about the region in accordance with the states media policy, implementing them and following up on what is approved thereof.
  • Producing various media materials directed to public opinion in accordance with public policy.
  • Regularly supplying Abyei Area diplomatic missions abroad with newspapers, magazines, publications and other necessary information materials.
  • Initiating procedures for accrediting correspondents of news agencies, newspapers, and magazines operating in the Arabic and foreign languages, facilitating their tasks, and granting them the necessary cards and permits to carry out their work.
  • Issuing periodic bulletins and media brochures.
  • Supervising the media library.
  • Follow up on the implementation of decisions and recommendations issued by international media conferences to which the Abyei Area is a party and submit detailed reports to the competent authorities.
  • Follow up on the procedures for the Ministry’s participation in specialized international media organizations.
  • Follow up on the implementation of media agreements and protocols and submit reports thereon to the Ministry’s leadership.
  • Providing media and press delegations with the necessary information, publications and documents.
  • Providing regular periodic reports on its activities and achievements.
  • Carrying out any tasks or competencies required by the nature of its job or in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations or assigned to it by the Ministry’s leadership.
  • Providing the citizens of Abyei with information, facts and news in various fields and introducing the Abyei region historically, civilizational, culturally and politically and contributing to consolidating the values of freedom, justice and equality in accordance with the constitution, state law and general policy of the ASAA.