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Somalia security forces reaffirms commitment to uphold freedom of expression and safety of journalists
Previously, the media and the army were not seeing eye to eye, but we have seen areas of common interest. I believe the military will benefit significantly from such trainings
The training which took place from 1 to 3 May coincided with the 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day which called for deliberate efforts to protect press freedom, because if everything is alright in the news, then something is wrong with journalism. And when journalism is compromised, then human rights cannot be protected.
Leading the training was international expert trainer Philippe Perez, assisted by Maj. Sadik Aden Ali, spokesperson of the Somali Police Force, and Mark Wall, UNESCO Communication and Information Programme Coordinator for Somalia. The officers were taken through theoretical and practical exercises to assist them in improving on accountability and transparency with the public. In addition, the security forces were able to interact with journalists and dialogue on various real-life scenarios.
It is my first time to sit with police officers in this setup. This is a new area for me that I would like to explore further with the help of UNESCO. It is uncommon to have journalists and police collaborate, but from this training, I have added new knowledge to improve my skill set as a journalist when dealing with the police.
Through the mock crime scene exercise, journalists better appreciated the sensitivity of crime scenes and the importance of police information centers. Moreover, they learnt firsthand that personal safety under such scenarios is paramount while they work to inform the public, and better collaboration with the police would ensure their safety and that of evidence and victims.
Borrowing from regional experiences, Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Jared Ojuok of the Kenya Police Service shared the Kenyan experience on the relations between the Kenya Police and the media. Police officers were made aware of the importance of establishing a vibrant communication channel with the public and the media through social media platforms, verification of information and complaints handling while upholding the law.
Maj. Diini Roble, Police Spokesperson of the Federal Member State of Hershebelle, said: “There has existed misunderstanding between police and the media. I hope to have a similar training in my state and help to improve relations between our police and the media.” Additionally, the special prosecutor from the Attorney General’s Office, Federal Government of Somalia, Mr. Farhan Hussein Mohammed, highlighted the critical role played by the Attorney General’s Office in the prosecution and investigation of abuses against journalists and the legal aid available to journalists in Somalia.
World Press Freedom Day
In marking the World Press Freedom Day, journalists called on the support of the police in creating an enabling environment for human rights to thrive. Present as the chief guest was the Deputy Commissioner of Somali National Police, Brig Gen Osman Abdullahi Mohamed, who lauded the efforts of UNESCO and encouraged participants to put into practice the knowledge they had acquired in their various states.
On this World Press Freedom Day, we note that security forces must work with the media for positive collaboration and human rights to thrive. All the conflicting ideologies we may have had should be eliminated through this training, and we should be more open to serve and work together for the benefit of the public and uphold human rights
This training was organized as a follow-up to the regional training of trainers’ workshop held from 16 to 18 November 2022 in Mombasa, Kenya, where 11 African countries, including Somalia, participated. Some of the facilitators and participants were beneficiaries of the Mombasa training. This activity was made possible within the framework of the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP), which also supported the translation of the UNESCO publication used during the training, Freedom of Expression and Public Order: Fostering the Relationship Between Security Forces and Journalists into Somali.
