SUDAN / NATIONAL ANTHEM

As the counting of votes continues in Sudan, southerners unveil a new national anthem for potentially the world's youngest country. UNMIS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:43
• Production Date: 18 January 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SUDAN - UNMIS
• Subject Topical: REFERENDUM
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U110118d

Description

STORY: SUDAN / NATIONAL ANTHEM
TRT: 2:43
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 13 JANUARY 2011, WAU / OCTOBER 24 2010 JUBA, SUDAN

13 JANUARY 2011, WAU, SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, tea shop
2. Med shot, Alphonse Cornelio and friends seated at tea
3. Close up, Alphonse’s mobile phone
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Alphonse Cornelio:
“First of all it reminds me of all the past suffering that our grand, grand ancestors have undergone…it motivates me for my present [status] that I am a free citizen with full freedom, liberty, justice, equality and share of equal right the northerners in the South. And even it gave me hope of the future for my children and generations to come.”
5. Close up, Alphonse mobile
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Baptist Babie:
“I feel as if I am in paradise, it is special song it gives me special feeling I can not explain for you what I feel”
7. Med shot, Philip Peter Nombobo reciting the anthem with his hand on his heart
8. Close up, pouring tea
9. Med shot, Alphonse and friend Martin Baptist drinking tea
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Philip Peter Nombobo:
“I am happy to hear this new national anthem because it is actually the anthem of a new country - new country that will be for us southerners, Africans. It is an anthem that expresses the will and the hope of our people. It also praises God.”
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Baptist Babie:
“As my colleague here he was singing it. I want to be like him to sing it every time from morning to evening.”

24 OCTOBER 2010, JUBA, SUDAN

12. Wide shot, Nyukuron cultural center Juba
13. Med shot. National anthem sign
14. Wide shot, people inside the center
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Abuk, Chairman, South Sudan National Anthem Technical Committee:
“Today as many of you might have following the process of the making of the national anthem for south Sudan. We have come a long way, a distance about three months of hectic debating and processing the kind of words that are going to be presented to you in form of tune this afternoon.”
16. Wide shot, Juba University students singing national anthem
17. Med shot, a young lady ululating while the national anthem is sung
18. Wide shot, people in festive mood
19. Med shot, young lady praying

Storyline

Alphonse Cornelio Tirga, a 32 year old civil servant in the small Southern Sudanese town of Wau, is, of late, tempted to take unusually longer time to respond to his calls simply because he loves the sound of this particular ring tone.

For Alphonse, the ring tone which is the new proposed national anthem of Southern Sudan, is not like any other. It is very close to his heart and his long-held dreams.

SOUNDBITE (English) Alphonse Cornelio:
“First of all it reminds me of all the past suffering that our grand, grand ancestors have undergone. It motivates me for my present [status] that I am a free citizen with full freedom, liberty, justice, equality and share of equal right the northerners in the South. And even it gave me hope of the future for my children and generations to come.”

Alphonse was only five-years old when the civil war between the southern and northern part of his country broke out in 1983. There was no let up to the fighting until Alphonse turned 26 years six years back when a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the two parties brought an end to the bloodshed that killed two million people and displaced four million from their homes.

The anthem likens Southern Sudan to the biblical Cush, an ancient African kingdom in the region and also to Eden, a land flowing with milk and honey. Alphonse’s close friend, Martin Baptist Babie felt sentimental when he heard the national Anthem.

SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Baptist Babie:
“I feel as if I am in Paradise, it is special song it gives me special feeling I can not explain for you what I feel”

Philip Peter Nombobo, an Engineer working in Raja, one of the counties inside the State, was sitting next to Alphonse drinking tea in Wau when Alphonse’s cell phone came to life with a familiar ring tone. Right away, he placed his hand on his heart and started reciting the song.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Philip Peter Nombobo:
“I am happy to hear this new national anthem because it is actually the anthem of a new country - new country that will be for us southerners, Africans. It is an anthem that expresses the will and the hope of our people. It also praises God.”

Although the proposed anthem could be heard on some radio and TV stations in the south, it will not be made public as the official southern Sudan Anthem until the south secedes.

SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Baptist Babie:
“As my colleague here he was singing it. I want to be like him to sing it every time from morning to evening.”

Three months ago at Nyukuron cultural center in Juba with a packed crowd who came to witness and hear the proposed south Sudan national anthem, Joseph Abuk, chairman South Sudan national anthem technical committee said that the lyrics of the proposed South Sudan anthem had to include something about the south Sudan history, its people, the land, its resources and past struggle.

SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Abuk, Chairman, South Sudan National Anthem Technical Committee:
“Today as many of you might have following the process of the making of the national anthem for south Sudan. We have come a long way, a distance about three months of hectic debating and processing the kind of words that are going to be presented to you in form of tune this afternoon.”

In a baking hot concert hall in the steamy southern Sudanese capital, Juba University singers performed the proposed National anthem for their homeland in front of thousands of citizens who came to hear their national anthem for the first time.

During the performance of the national anthem, there were deep feelings of celebration, joy, tears in people's eyes, and the lyrics paid tribute to those who died in the struggle for the south to be able to choose its own future.

The lyrics were written by 49 southern Sudanese poets, who gathered together last year to write the verses, following guidelines set down by the government and army.

Southern Sudan just completed a referendum on self determination that could see the country either unify as one or spilt into two separation nations. Preliminary results are expected on 2 February 2011.