AX – Between May 2023 and May 2024, there have been 28 cases of violations against Somali journalists, including killings and arrests, highlighting Somalia as one of the most perilous environments for journalists.
The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) unveiled its yearly report, entitled “Somali government breached media legislation it formerly supported, undercutting Press Freedom,” on Friday, May 3, 2024, World Press Freedom Day.
As per the FESOJ report, three journalists lost their lives: one in Abudwaq District, Galmudug, another in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu, and the third due to long-standing injuries from a bomb attached to his vehicle.
The report also disclosed that, in the past year, 20 other journalists were apprehended; one journalist was subjected to torture, one was abducted, one journalist evacuated due to threats, and one radio station along with one TV station came under attack and were shuttered.
The report expressed, “Journalists are routinely detained without valid grounds, only to be let go later. Such imprisonments have become the norm, even with the courts operating. All these obstacles are intended to intimidate and silence journalists and the media, compelling them to conform to the status quo.”
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Media organizations and other groups in Somalia accused the federal and regional governments of disregarding the country’s constitution and media regulations, which safeguard the rights of the press and freedom of speech.
In March of this year, the Somali government established a nine-member Somali National Media Council subsequent to the parliament enacting the media law and the President signing it. Nevertheless, the Somali Mechanism for the Safety of Journalists (SMSJ), a collaborative network comprising seven media associations, disapproved of the selection. They asserted that there was no consultation with media groups and that the newly appointed Council members were government employees.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 1993, World Press Freedom Day celebrates the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the current global ecological dilemma. This year’s theme is “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”
World Press Freedom Day endeavors to underscore the significant role that the press, journalism, access to information, and dissemination of information play in ensuring a sustainable future.
Nonetheless, the most recent report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in December 2023 indicated that Somalia ranked second among the worst countries globally where journalists face intimidation, slipping from the top position it had held for five consecutive years.