The station manager of Eye Radio, Koang Pal Chang, has been elected as the Training Secretary of the LDC Journalists Forum.

The new organization was unanimously formed in a meeting of Least Developed Countries journalists, who participated in Midterm Review on IPoA for the LDCs in Antalya, Turkey on May 29 in a bid to maintain communication and work for the LDC journalists.

Rafiqul Islam Azad of Bangladesh is the president and Baboucarr Camara of Gambia and Ben Jounior Kambire of Mali as general secretaries for a two-year term.

The other office bearers are: vice presidents- Ms Sitembile Siwawa of Zambıa, Jounas Cullwick of Vanuatu and Virgile Ahıssou, coordinator- Mahabir Paudyal of Nepal, Treasurer- Ms Maribel Ibule Djole of Equatorial Guinea, and research secretary- Getachew Balcha of Ethiopia.

The organization is to work for creating and enhancing opportunity for LDC journalists and organize trainings and workshops.

In a statement to South Sudan Media Sector Working Group, Mr Pal said the new forum would increase South Sudan media sector visibility in the globe.

“Personally, I see this as one of our achievements when it comes to networking and sharing of information across the globe on Least Developed Countries,” partly reads the statement.

Mr. Koang is currently the Station Manager of Eye Radio, the chairman of National Editors Forum – South Sudan (NEF), and also the Secretary for the Association of Media in South Sudan (AMDISS).

Nearly 20 journalists from 43 least developed countries were sponsored by United Nations to cover and report on the conference on Istanbul Program of Action in Antalya, Turkey between 24 and 29 May, 2016.

The UN conference on Least Developed Countries brought together high-level representatives and over two thousand stakeholders from governments, international and regional organizations, civil society, the private sector, foundations, think tanks and the media.

Koang Pal Chang

Koang grew up between home and school as a goat herder and student in Ethiopia in the 1980s. At his tender age, Koang was enrolled in a government school in Ethiopia where the language of instruction was Amharic up to high school.

In 1991, after the collapse of ‘Derge’ regime in Ethiopia, Koang moved back to southern Sudan where he briefly served in ‘Arianthdit Red Army’ in Dimma and Kapoeta where he also taught as a teacher for some years.

Koang first enrolled for journalism course in Kenya Institute of Mass Communication In 1996 and completed his university education later in 2012.

Koang now holds BSc Degree in Communication and Journalism from Moi University – Kenya.

He has been practicing journalism since 2006. His first story was on human rights violation. It was about a woman who was buried alive for committing adultery in Nasir.

The story alarmed the region and the then Government of Southern Sudan, after much pressure from human rights watch.

With over 10-year experience in media, Koang has covered war/conflicts, peaceful and violent political rallies, peace talks, elections, referendum and disarmament exercises in South Sudan and Sudan.

In 2014, he attended US – Africa Leadership conference as Media representative in Washington DC.