Press Statement for Immediate Release
Mogadishu City, Tuesday, June 20, 2023: Thirty editors have received certificates of attendance today after completing a three- day Comprehensive Safety Training Workshop for Media Editors in Mogadishu City, Banadir region, Somalia from 18th to 20th June 2023.
Present at the ceremony for the presentation of certificates to the media editors were Abdifatah Moalim Nor – Qeys, Director of Somali Cable TV, Farah Omar Nor, Secretary General of the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ), Abukar Al Badri, Program Coordinator of IMS/FOJO and Mohamed Osman Makaran, Secretary General of the Somali Media Association (SOMA).
The training workshop organized by SOMA and supported by IMS/FOJO was held at Jazeera Palace Hotel in Mogadishu city. The training the third of its type have been participated by thirty editors mainly from different media stations operational in Mogadishu city including radio outlets, TV stations, Websites and Newspapers.
The Somali Media Association (SOMA) has earlier implemented similar training workshop on two occasions for forty editors enhancing the safety for the Somali journalists in Beletweyne city, Hirshabelle State and Dhuusamareeb city, Galmudug State during May 2023.
The main aim of the training workshop was to improve the safety of journalists operating in hostile and risky environment through capacity building with the media editors.
The key courses covered during the 3- day training course were: Situational awareness, civil unrest, risk assessment and mitigation, vehicle safety and travel, personal and workspace security, digital security, suicide attacks, UXO, Mines, IEDs, security forces and the media, accommodation safety and security, planning travel and assignment, medical 1-3, trauma first aid and sensitivity related to the elections.
Some of the Directors of the media stations attending the sessions of the training pointed out that the safety-training program was a priority need at this stage when journalists are operating in hostile and risky areas to report public interest media content.
In addition, during the training sessions, some of the participating editors from various media outlets in Mogadishu city has got the opportunity to discuss and exchange information and experience on safety issues for the journalists with their colleagues during working with the media.
Furthermore, Abukar Albadri, Coordinator IMS/FOJO indicated the importance for the trained editors to adopt what they have learned at their media centers and to closely monitor the security situation of the places before they assign journalists to report from the hostile and dangerous areas where mostly insecurity incidents and attacks could take place.
Abdi Fatah Moalim Nor- Qeys , Director of Somali Cable TV requested the editors attending the workshop to share what they learned with their colleagues that have not got this opportunity and apply the safety procedures they have learned to ensure the safety of the journalists working in risky areas.
In his closing remarks, Mohamed Osman Makaran, the Secretary General of SOMA has thanked IMS/FOJO for enhancing the capacity of media editors to further strengthen their role in improving the efforts towards avoiding life threatening risks that could arise when designating journalists operating in hostile and risky areas.
In conclusion, the journalists participating in the safety training workshop have received certificates presented to them by Abukar Al Badri, Program Coordinator of IMS/FOJO, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ), and Mohamed Osman Makaran, Secretary General of the Somali Media Association (SOMA).
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