No neutral reporting, Jubbaland authorities tell journalists amid UNSOM funded conference

Visits: 764
(Rating 0.0/5 Stars) Total Votes: 0
0 0
Share via Social Media

No neutral reporting, Jubbaland authorities tell journalists amid UNSOM funded conference

KISMAYO (HORN OBSERVER) – Journalists and media rights defenders were taken aback when authorities in Kismayo, Jubbaland, announced a ban on independent coverage of the ongoing conflict between government forces and al-Shabaab in the region.

Share

The announcement was made by Jubbaland's information minister, Saleban Mohamed Mohamud, during a three-day meeting on strategic communication held on Monday, May 29. The conference was funded by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

KISMAYO (HORN OBSERVER) – Journalists and media rights defenders were taken aback when authorities in Kismayo, Jubbaland, announced a ban on independent coverage of the ongoing conflict between government forces and al-Shabaab in the region.

The announcement was made by Jubbaland’s information minister, Saleban Mohamed Mohamud, during a three-day meeting on strategic communication held on Monday, May 29. The conference was funded by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

According to journalists present at the meeting, Minister Mohamud emphasized that, given the ongoing war in the country, the "media should align with the government and disseminate propaganda news through social media”. This directive blatantly undermines the principles of neutrality and objectivity that independent media upholds.

Concerns were raised when UNSOM officers were observed to be present at the meeting hall during the minister’s announcement, causing further unease among local journalists.

Abdikhadar Iman of the Jubbaland Journalists Organization shared his experience, stating that he witnessed the minister issuing the new orders.

Miski Yusuf Ali, the director general of Jubbaland’s Ministry of Information, confirmed the imposition of the new policy by the minister during his address to journalists on the meeting’s third day. Miski also stated that UNSOM officials were supportive of their actions.

Jubbaland and Southwest authorities recently declared a new offensive against al-Shabaab militants who control significant portions of the two regional states.

The safety of local journalists has long been a concern in Kismayo. In July 2019, two prominent journalists lost their lives during an al-Shabaab attack on a popular hotel. Due to a shrinking space for media and safety concerns, dozens of local reporters have fled the city, as reported by local media associations.

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expressed serious concerns over the Jubbaland authorities’ announcement, particularly as it follows the October 8 directive by the federal Ministry of Information in Mogadishu, which banned independent media coverage of military operations. This directive led to the arbitrary detention and persecution of SJS secretary-general Abdalle Mumin in October 2022.

In accordance with the directive, Jubbaland intelligence officers arbitrarily detained Abdullahi Hussein Kilas, a journalist from Horn Cable TV and SJS press freedom coordinator, in the port city of Kismayo on October 23. Kilas had covered an attack on a hotel in the city center that day. He was released later after the authorities forced Horn Cable TV to remove his news report.

According to documentation by the SJS, the arbitrary detention, threats, restrictions, and denial of access to information have reached alarming levels throughout 2022. Furthermore, federal and local authorities have intensified their attacks on journalists covering the government-declared war against al-Shabaab in certain regions of the country. As a result, two prominent journalists lost their lives, ten others sustained injuries, 84 journalists were arrested, and seven media stations/offices were raided and closed due to their critical reporting in 2022.

The ban on independent media coverage imposed by Jubbaland authorities, combined with previous restrictive actions, raises concerns about press freedom and access to accurate information in Somalia.