MOGADISHU, Somalia, November 12, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) welcomes the pledge to end impunity by the president of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheik Mohamoud during a meeting gathered at the presidential palace in Mogadishu with the members from the Somali media community including union leaders, journalists, editors and representatives from some of the media stations in Mogadishu on Friday November 09, 2012. The Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamoud Ahmed Nor (Tarzan) was also present at the meeting.
The discussion was focused establishing legal frame work for the profession, creating enabling environment and also recognized the necessity to have a responsible and self regulated media society and the killing journalists with impunity.
First, the president of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheik Mohamoud, was briefed about the current conditions of the Somali journalists by representatives of some of the Somali houses and the journalist representatives. The Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Mohamed Ibrahim, among other speakers, briefed the president, on behalf of the Somali journalists, about the current working conditions of the journalists, the challenges they are facing including increased death threats, intimidations and targeted assassination and the need to launch a body that investigates the killings against the media workers and journalists in order to end the raging impunity.
The President of Somalia, H.E. Hasan Sheik Mohamoudsaid that a task force that will investigate the killing against the journalists will be formed shortly and that killers of the journalists will be identified and punished for their crimes.
” The era of impunity must stop immediately. We are determined to find the perpetrators of these crimes against our brave journalists. The Somali Government recognises the central role the media must play in ensuring transparency for the Somali people. Freedom of expression is a right enshrined in our constitution and we are determined to uphold and defend that right in the face of these heinous attacks..” Somali President,H.E. Hassan Sheik Mohamoud said According to a statement from the Presidential palace, Somali president, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has asked the Prime Minister of Somalia H.E. Abdi Farah Shirdon (Saa’id) to urgently set up a Task Force to thoroughly investigate all cases involving the killing of Somali Journalists with a view to bringing those responsible to justice. The President said: “The Somali people are rightly concerned by these killings and want to know why our journalists are subject to such attacks. I have no doubt that the truth will come out and that these perpetrators will have no place to hide.
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) welcomes the president’s promise in ending the killing of the journalists with impunity ahead of the World Impunity day which is marked 23 November each year.
“We welcome our president’s pledge in ending the killings of the media workers with impunity in Somalia.” Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “On Behalf of the Somali Journalists, We Welcome the initiative, which we hope will end the killing of the journalists with impunity a year that 18 media workers had been killed.”
Somalia is regarded as one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist with 18 media workers killed in 2012 alone and 14 out of the 18 cases of murders took place in Mogadishu and none of the killers has been punished for their crimes.
SOURCE
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
