By Abdalle Ahmed
MOGADISHU (RBC) Somalia journalists and media fraternity today marked the World Press Freedom Day with the government pledging to do more to arrest perpetrators of violence against journalists. Different Somali media organisations, publishers and journalists gathered at Mogadishu’s Jazeera hotel to mark the day, which was co-organized by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa.
The meeting was officially opened by deputy minister of Information, Posts, Telecommunication and Transport, Mr. Abdishaur Ali Mire emphasizing the importance of preventing further deaths of journalists. “Any person who is accused of attacking journalists will be arrested and prosecuted,” Said the Minister.
In 2010 18 journalists were killed in Somalia making the country the most dangerous place for journalists to work in the world.
ARTICLE 19 representative Patrick Mutahi emphasised the importance of prosecuting perpetrators of those who violate journalists rights in order to end impunity. “It is important for the government to put more efforts in investigations of crimes against freedom of expression so that the attacks can reduce,” he said.
The Safety and the security of the Somali journalists have reached unpredictable level due to the government’s weak response in persecuting the killers.
Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General speaks at the World Press Freedom Day 2013 in Mogadishu.
Mohamed Ibrahim, the Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) raised with deep concern the deteriorating situation of the Somali journalists over their security, reiterating that “Fear resulted from the journalists’ assassination, which the government is not doing enough to protect the journalists, would seriously affect the independence of new reporting and asked the government to come up measures to ensure the security and the security of the Somali journalists.”
Mr. Patrick Mutahi, a representative from Article 19 addresses at the World Press Freedom Day commemoration in Mogadishu.
Chairman of Parliamentary Committee of Information, Culture, Posts and Telecommunication, Mr. Abdi Hashi Abdullahi re-assured the parliaments’ commitment in defending the freedom of expression, while underlining that, “The parliament will put accountable to the government in violations against the press and will not tolerate continued violence against the journalists.”.
Mr. Abdishakur Mire, deputy minister of information of Somalia Federal Government pledges strong accountability towards to end impunity during the World Press Freedom Day in Mogadishu.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yasin Ali Heyle – Director of Corrections and Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice highlighted the importance to bringing the killers to justice, “The Ministry of Justice will do its best in tackling the impunity and that every journalist killed gets justice.”
The participants honoured the slain Somali journalists and the event organizers printed the photos of the murdered Somali journalists killed in duty and condemned all violations against the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press and the violence against the journalists.
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