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Somali Journalists Welcome Somali President’s Pledge to End Impunity

November 10, 2012 - Written by Warar - Edited byWarar

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. <END>

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