More than 300 journalists and media houses across Sudan will be trained to cover elections by the Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA) and five other national and international organisations in the lead-up to Sudan's nationwide elections in April 2010.

For many Sudanese journalists, reporting the country's first multi-party elections in 24 years will be a major challenge. Most have never had the opportunity to cover elections before and are not familiar with Sudan's complex electoral process. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the population will be dealing with no less than 12 ballot papers on Election Day. Fair and accurate reporting will therefore play a crucial role in ensuring transparency on the road to sustainable peace and democracy in Sudan.