Somali authorities must stick to their promises to investigate and prosecute killers of the messengers

Visits: 2032
(Rating 0.0/5 Stars) Total Votes: 0
0 0
Share via Social Media

Somali authorities must stick to their promises to investigate and prosecute killers of the messengers

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) In July last year, Somalia's federal authorities said they would open a full probe into the criminals and officials suspected to have committed crimes against journalists including dozens of murder cases of journalists

Share

Sahra Ismail Ali, 53-year-old mother presents a photo of her murdered son, Abdirizak Qasim Iman, a Somali camera-journalist killed by a police officer in Mogadishu in July 2018. (PHOTO/Hinda Dahir on Friday July 24, 2020).

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) In July last year, Somalia's federal authorities said they would open a full probe into the criminals and officials suspected to have committed crimes against journalists including dozens of murder cases of journalists in the Horn of African country since 1992.

The announcement was made by former Deputy Minister of Information, Adan Isak during an interview that was part of an in-depth investigative journalism work carried out by a prominent freelance journalist, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin through a grant support provided by the Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ), a London-based non-governmental organization that advocates for journalists safety.

This announcement was followed by a September 2020 announcement by the country's Attorney General, Suleiman Mohamed Mohamud, who promised to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes against journalists in the country.

"It was the first time when a Somali journalist was able to investigate into some of the long list of journalists and media workers assassinated in the country. The list is very long but we managed to draw attention to some of the most pressing cases thanks to the invaluable access and the grant support provided by JFJ," says journalist Mumin during an interview with Horn Observer on Tuesday.

While authorities are always saying that lack of institutional capacity to conduct independent inquiries and the threat posed by the militant group are among the main challenges the government faces, on the other side, journalist Mumin who met the bereaved families, says their hopes remain dashed until today.

"During my reporting assignment in July and August last year, I was able to meet with families, children, colleagues and friends of the journalists killed in the line of duty," Mr. Mumin adds,"I have sensed the pain these families were going through and most importantly how they lost faith in the system to have a just investigation - even if the killers are known to them. Now it is time to see the authorities are moving to the right direction and carry out the investigations they have promised," Mr. Mumin adds.

UNRESOLVED MURDER CASES IN A DANGEROUS COUNTRY

On Tuesday, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), a journalists' trade union based in Mogadishu, which Mr. Mumin is its secretary general, released its annual 2020 report documenting violations against freedom of the press in Somalia.

SJS made a very powerful recommendations to the Somali authorities and the international community that supports them to act on resolving the unresolved cases of killings of journalists - including the young local TV journalist Abdirizak Qasim Iman who was shot dead by a Somali police officer in Mogadishu in July 2018.

In the report, SJS recommended authorities to "thoroughly and effectively investigate all reported cases of officials, regardless of rank or position, threatening or harassing journalists and discipline or prosecute those suspected to be responsible for these violations".

SJS says the country has consistently recorded the highest number of journalists killed in Africa in the past two decades making the country the most dangerous place on earth for journalists to work in and therefore it wants authorities to come clean and publicly condemn physical attacks, killings, threats, harassment, obstruction, intimidation and arbitrary arrests of journalists and other media workers.

COMMUNICATIONS TO U.N

To address the dire safety conditions for the journalists in Somalia, in August 2020, Michael Polak who is a London-based international human rights barrister made submissions to the United Nation’s Independent Expert on Human Rights in Somalia, Human Rights Council, and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression concerning the attacks on journalism in Somalia.

"The freedom of journalists to do their job without having to fear attacks and repression by the authorities is essential for the development of any country," Mr. Polak said "The clear evidence shows that the Somalian Government and Somaliland authorities are failing to comply with their international and domestic legal obligations by continuing to attack, arbitrarily detain, and censure brave hardworking Somalian journalists."

Mr. Mumin once again said that it was imperative that Somali federal authorities and its member states to be truthful and stand to their promises to carry out an honest and thorough investigations into the killers of the journalists.

"Despite all these public commitments it is very concerning that little has been done so far. We would remind government officials and everyone involved to think that violence against journalists, and the daily barrage of verbal attacks represent an assault on an essential pillar of democracy. If Somalia wants to be a democratic country with an accountable system of governance then we have the chance to do it today: start with doing justice for the families of the killed messengers," Mumin says.

-
Reporting by Ahmed Mohamed in Mogadishu