Stop the killing of Somali journalists

September was the deadliest ever month for Somali journalists: seven were killed in 11 days, all in the capital. This year Somalia will record its highest media death toll: 15 journalists have already been killed since January.

Serial killings have become a ‘normal issue’ in my country. Those who turn their lethal weapons on journalists commit these monstrous crimes with total impunity. Arresting, beating or maltreating a journalist is no longer seen a major problem that warrants condemnation, protest, or any other reaction.

The second-most recent killing, of Abdirahman Mohamed Ali, was a distasteful and stony-hearted murder: his head was chopped off. Never before had a journalist been beheaded in our country: it showed that those who seek to kill journalists have unrestricted power to act at their own discretion.

Islamist extremists consider journalists ‘traitors’ for trying to be independent and impartial in their reports. Meanwhile, opposing forces accuse journalists of being in cahoots with terrorists.

Reporting on political extremism, human rights abuses and corruption are always deadly stories. It is also dangerous to report on acrimonious disputes between rival armed groups over territory or a particular sphere of influence.

Killing a journalist has become a way for a group to show it is still operational and active. It achieves publicity for the group because the story will make the headlines across the media and journalists will protest very strongly.

Impunity is the biggest enemy of press freedom in Somalia. Pursuing the killer of a journalist is impractical because they are associated with the powers of the day and the judiciary is non-existent or co-opted within the bloody politics of the country.

Those suspected of killing a journalist are released from the back door in the night, or sometimes in broad daylight. Yet those who release suspected perpetrators are not held to account and continue to serve.

The UN is actively engaged in Somalia, making efforts to make the country stable and peaceful. Improving the safety of journalists and tackling chronic impunity should be a practical part of those ambitions. We strongly reject the idea that journalists are only dying within a wider context of violence and conflict in the country.

The UN in Somalia should move from words of condemnation to practical and tangible actions. Due to the relatively small number of journalists killed, it would be possible to carry out thorough investigations and press the local authorities to bring about justice.

Abuse of human rights should be taken seriously and addressed aggressively, without being afraid of the powers of the day. 

Front-line journalists and senior editors are meeting this week at the BBC College of Journalism to discuss journalist safety ahead of a UN meeting in November where the issue will be debated.

There's more about those meetings in a previous post by William Horsley.