Radio Miraya is the radio station of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It began its programming in 2006. In partnership with the United Nations, Fondation Hirondelle contributed to its creation, development of its programs and training of its teams, from 2006 to 2014.
Radio Miraya started broadcasting in South Sudan on June 30, 2006, when it was still part of the Republic of Sudan. Radio Miraya was born from a partnership agreement between the United Nations and Fondation Hirondelle signed in May 2005, with the intention to implement the comprehensive peace agreement signed in 2005 between the government of Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Army, the SPLA. Fondation Hirondelle provided editorial supervision of the radio, and provided human and logistical resources. We created and implemented the Miraya Charter, as well as the radio formats that would make the radio successful: news bulletins, features, political debates and programs about daily life, in two languages, English and Arabic. Fondation Hirondelle trained, advised, and supervised about 100 Sudanese and South Sudanese journalists, technicians, and managers.
Fondation Hirondelle trained and supported the Radio Miraya teams to cover the January 2011 referendum in which the people of South Sudan voted for independence. The Republic of South Sudan was proclaimed in July 2011. Radio Miraya put itself "in tune with the world’s youngest country". Its programs were broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on FM through 26 relay stations from Juba, the capital. Three hours of shortwave programs were also broadcast daily. Its website, created, and managed by Fondation Hirondelle, was very popular and allowed downloading of news bulletins, listening through radio streaming, access to interviews, features, podcasts, and articles produced by the editorial staff.
The partnership between the United Nations and Fondation Hirondelle for radio management ended in 2014. Radio Miraya has been continuing since, and broadcasts under the UNMISS mandate.