FREEDOM OF PRESS IN
SOMALIA
IS IN DANGER
INTRODUCTION
The ruin of
President Siad Barre’s military rule in January 1991 resulted in a
control struggle and clashes between tribes in many areas of
Somalia. This culminated in deep fighting in Somalia. The
hostilities resulted in widespread death and destruction, forcing
hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Almost of
the people in Somalia were threatened by several human abuses. It
is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have died since
November 1991, while 1.5 million lives were at immediate risk.
Unreasonable
pressure, killing and arresting of many journalists have been
intentionally used throughout these thirteen years of insecurity
between conflicting clan groups by members of armed political
groups on account of their membership of a particular clan. There
is also everyday exercise of administrative power on free
journalists/media houses resulting silence of the truth and voice
of the civilian people.
The purpose of
this report is to reflect the set of abuses against freedom of
press and freedom of expression in Somalia in a year, and to
create means of bringing up to date to international actors, since
Somalia gives the impression of a country failed in several social
sectors. This report demonstrates how the article 19 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to
hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers) is functional in this war torn country.
THE DANGERS
OF SOMALI JOURNALISTS
The press milieu
in Somalia portrays an inconsistency. The lengthened nonappearance
of a successful rule has resulted in a theatrical increase in the
number of media foundations, whereas on the other it has placed
journalists at hazard from hostage takers, murderers, warring
factions and the government concerned in controlling information,
and disseminating their individual and institutional standpoints.
The national
conflict that followed Barre's collapse guided to a disintegration
of power and a sudden increase of new media centers, many of them
closely joined to one or another of the factions, self-declared
independent authorities and the transitional government rival in
rule.
The country now
has hundreds of journalists operational in a wide range of
newspapers, radio stations and Internet sites, but they function
in an unsafe situation that weakens both professional journalism
and press freedom.
Somali
journalists are helpless, hassled, and most of their duties denied
admission to formal information.
The journalist
endeavours to be objective but he/she also does not want to depart
this life at the hands of the armed forces. In this regard, he/she
could not report the essentials all the time.
The journalists
fall in two scopes. One is that, politically concerned persons
greatly wish for journalists to report their actions; on the other
they consider journalists are spies, evil-tellers, pessimists,
enemies, trouble-seekers and mercenaries.
By:
Somali
Journalists Network (SOJON)
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