Statement by Mr. Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on Stand Alone Interactive Dialogue for Somalia
NEW YORK, September 29, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Statement by Mr. Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on Stand Alone Interactive Dialogue for Somalia.
Mr. President
Honourable Abdirahman Aden Ibrahim, Deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Somalia
Madame Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Excellencies
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great honour for me to speak to you here today for this stand-alone interactive dialogue for Somalia during which I seek to put under the spotlight, the deteriorating human rights situation in Somalia, particularly the right to freedom of expression. This state of affair has been occasioned by the unremitting deadly and deliberate violence that has led to the total collapse of respect for civilians’ rights as enshrined in international humanitarian law.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the relevant conventions call upon member States of the United Nations to protect and promote universal and indivisible human rights. The members of this Council must, therefore, not turn away their eyes from Human Rights situation in Somalia.
The scope of the term legitimate targets as well as the rule of the proportionality has been widened to suit the interests of the warring parties in Somalia. This has resulted in unacceptably high numbers of civilian victims of the conflict and the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including journalists and their media houses. The actions targeting media in this bloody conflict seek to entrench and enforce a culture of silence, as one way of sapping the social energy of Somali society.
Excellencies,
Somali journalists, who risk life and limb in their work, continue to pay a heavy price for playing their role as the public’s messengers. The violence directed at them undermines their capacity to fulfil this duty. Dozens of journalists have been assassinated while many other dozens daily face threats, intimidation, physical harassment and dislodgement from their workstations.
Twenty-two journalists were murdered since 2007, making them the most victimised group among the foremost defenders of human rights. 3 journalists were killed so far this year. Abdifatah Jama Mire, Director of Horseed Radio in Puntland, is currently serving 6 years jail sentence. This sentence is the most outrageous and the harshest punishment given to a journalist in recent times in this semi-autonomous region of Somalia.
The private media houses were hit hard after Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam seized control of 5 radio stations in South-Central regions in the last 6 months. The Islamists have since banned the broadcast of music and songs. All sides in the conflict wanted journalists to favour them in their reporting. These forces also confiscated equipment from journalists. Reporting the truth has become a dangerous business in Somalia, and as a result Journalists have started practicing self-censorship.
Private media is on the verge of total collapse and there is a fear that there could be a total reversal of whatever progress has been made over the past few years. The economic and social consequences of sophisticated restrictions on media have been heavy and have resulted into loss of business and gradually, the media industry is also becoming as sick as the country.
It is of particular concern that media professionals continue to be targets of deadly violence in the southern and central regions of Somalia, and in particular in the capital city. The top priority of the world community must be to end the vicious cycle of violence and impunity directed against journalists and the news media organizations that are being targeted because of their legitimate role of facilitating exchange of news and opinion.
Human rights could not be guaranteed in Somalia in the absence of press freedom and freedom of expression, while freedom of expression could not exist when journalists were not protected and suffered death or violence for telling the truth.
Mr President,
The degree to which human rights are respected and protected serves as a benchmark for a Country’s stability and sustainable development. To secure peace and protect human rights in Somalia, we need a strong and efficient government that lives up to its human rights obligations.
The world community must quickly come to the aid of the survivors of these gruesome violations, and ensure punishment for the perpetrators of human rights violations as a deterrent to future acts of impunity. For the journalists who continue to endure this hell that defies precedent, justice delayed is more than justice denied – it is terror sustained.
Failure to address these violations of human rights against journalists, if left to continue, gives an incentive to the perpetrators to continue their macabre trade.
The UN HRC must impose targeted measures against persistent violators of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press by setting up a mechanism for prevention, deterrence and rapid response to the widespread and systematic violence against the right to free expression. We see this as an important step on the road to providing incentives for the protection of civilians.
I thank you Mr. President
SOURCE
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
