10 Dec 2012

SOMALIA / PRESS FREEDOM

During decades of civil war, Somali journalists were the eyes and the ears of the world. But over the years they have become targets, making Somalia one of the world’s most dangerous places for media workers. AU-UN IST

Posted at: December 10, 2012 5:54 pm

Duration: 02:05

Available in: SD

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STORY: SOMALIA / PRESS FREEDOM
TRT: 2.05
SOURCE: AU - UN IST
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SOMALI / ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 9 DECEMBER 2012, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA / FILE

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, streets of Mogadishu
2. Tilt down, radio station building
3. Med shot, Mohammed Nour sits and reads the news
4. Close up, studio microphone as he reads
5. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mohammed Nour Mohammed, Radio Bakulan Journalist:
"They were some people who knew that I was a reporter and that I worked for Radio Bakulan. Days before I was attacked, they were looking for me and sent me threatening text messages. They attacked me because they were not happy that I was reporting the truth, they wanted me to say that al Shabaab was a Mujahedeen Movement, and I was calling them al Shabaab a militia."
6. Med shot, Mohammed Nour showing his bullet injury
7. Wide shot, Mohammed Ibrahim, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English), Mohammed Ibrahim, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists:
"The journalists need protection, they need safety, but in order to get safety and security environment, the journalist must get justice. As long as justice is found, safety and security can be found after that and the protection of the journalist, but the only thing that can protect journalist is justice."
10. Wide shot, journalist looking at a poster of dead colleagues
11. Close up, pictures of killed journalist
12. SOUNDBITE (Somali), Mohammed Nour Mohammed, Radio Bakulan Journalist:
"The threat still exists and they are threatening to kill me, but whether I die or not I am committed to continue my work, because I believe these threats will end."
13. Med shot, Mohammed Nour holding cell phone
14. Close up, text message with death threats on cell phone

STORYLINE:

During decades of civil war, Somali journalists were the eyes and the ears of the world. But over the years they have become targets, making Somalia is one of the most dangerous places for media workers.

Since 2007, Somali journalists have been target and killed because of their profession. 2012 has been the deadliest year so far, with 18 journalists murdered in cold blood, 14 in the capital Mogadishu alone.

Mohammed Nour Mohammed works at a Radio Bar Kulan as a reporter and presenter. He barely escaped death in June this year, when two young men with guns attacked him and shot him as he was going home after work. One bullet hit him around the chest and he fell to the ground, the second gun man tried to finish him off, but his gun jammed and Nour was able to run for help.

SOUNDBITE (Somali) Mohammed Nour Mohammed, Radio Bakulan Journalist:
"They were some people who knew that I was a reporter and that I worked for Radio Bakulan. Days before I was attacked, they were looking for me and sent me threatening text messages. They attacked me because they were not happy that I was reporting the truth, they wanted me to say that al Shabaab was a Mujahedeen Movement, and I was calling them al Shabaab a militia."

The Islamic extremist group al Shabaab has been blamed for most of the journalist deaths this year and they have owned up to some of them but not all. After over 20 years of civil war, clan rivalry and militia activity in Somalia, it is widely believed that there are other players who are unhappy with the journalists and the way they report news and information.

Al Shabaab have now been driven out of the capital and other major towns they used to control by the Somalia National Army with support from soldiers of the Africa Union Mission in Somali (AMISOM). In some of the former al Qaeda territories they now apply hit and run tactics using IEDs and grenade attacks on the population as a whole - and journalists in particular.

So far no one has been held accountable for the killing of journalists, and although there is a commitment by the country's newly elected president and prime minister to set up a taskforce to look into the killings, this has yet to begin.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mohammed Ibrahim, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists:
"The journalists need protection, they need safety, but in order to get safety and security environment, the journalist must get justice. As long as justice is found, safety and security can be found after that and the protection of the journalist, but the only thing that can protect journalist is justice."

Even with the deaths of their colleagues in an attempt to silence them, many Somali journalist continue to do their jobs.

Mohammed Nour says he can't stop what he is doing because he believes it's the right thing.

SOUNDBITE (Somali), Mohammed Nour Mohammed, Radio Bakulan Journalist:
"The threat still exists and they are threatening to kill me, but whether I die or not I am committed to continue my work, because I believe these threats will end."

Two days after three journalists were killed in Mogadishu at a popular restaurant in September, Nour he received his most recent text threat, which reads:

"The Infidel, the Infidel – you escaped from the Mujahedeen but god willing within the coming 48 hours someone will offer your blood to god. Mohammed Sharif, you will take the same route your friends took."

As the world celebrates Human Right Day with the theme "my voice counts", Somali journalists go to work each day to lend their voice in order to inform the world of what is happening in their country, not knowing whether they will live to see another day or have a voice with which to speak for those who cannot.