Horn of Africa still unsafe for many journalists with countries like Somalia; Eritrea blacklisted

By Samira Sawlani

Thomas Jefferson once wrote “To preserve the freedom of the human mind and freedom of the press, every spirit should be ready to devote itself to martyrdom; for as long as we may think as we will, and speak as we think, the condition of man will proceed in improvement.”

A report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) due for publishing  illustrates that countries in the Horn of Africa and East African region are among the worst culprits in stifling press freedom.

Based on a survey of 55 journalists who CPJ have assisted in leaving their home countries due to threat of violence, death and imprisonment in the past year, the report states “Journalists in the East African nations of Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Rwanda fled in high numbers over the past 12 months, making the East Africa region responsible for the highest number of exiled journalists for the sixth consecutive year”

Outside of East Africa, Syria, Iran, Mexico and Sri Lanka are just some of the other nations from where journalists have been compelled to flee.

Eritrea and Ethiopia are considered to be the worst perpetrators in imprisoning journalists. Since 2008 CPJ has worked with 30 journalists from Eritrea, almost all of which were interrogated, tortured and restrained in Government detention centres without charge.

In particular, Somalia is under the spotlight for being one of the countries where impunity rates for the perpetrators of crimes against journalists is high.  According to CPJ’s figures, 12 Somali journalists have been killed in the past year and over 70 journalists have fled the country since 2008.

One such journalist whose case has made headlines around the world is Abdiaziz Abdi Nur Ibrahim. At the beginning of the year Mr Ibrahim was introduced to a Somali IDP, Lul Ali Osman Barake, a woman who had been raped by armed men in military fatigues.  She gave him an interview disclosing the details of the rape and information about the perpetrators. Mr Ibrahim decided to investigate the case further in order to give voice to a woman who had suffered a horrific ordeal at the hands of what seemed to be responsible and trusted agents of the state.

Four days after the interview on the 6^th of January 2013 he received a call from Mrs Barake’s number. Upon answering he was astonished to find that at the other end of the phone was the Chairman of the CID requesting him to meet in order to assist the police with their enquiries into the case.  After this meeting, with no explanation given he was thrown into jail and over the following days underwent harsh interrogation by authorities.

 

It became clear to him that his only crime had been interviewing the perpetrated rape victim, an interview which was never even published.   After being held without charge for over two weeks he was then tried and sentenced to one year in Mogadishu prison where he shared a cramped cell with 45 people.

 

“Till now I do not understand what I was arrested for” he exclaims in a phone call from his lodgings in Kampala where he is currently based. His alleged offences according to authorities ranged from fabricating a defamatory story to misleading an interviewee, who also was sentenced to time in prison.  The physical discomfort was not the most taxing element of time in jail; it is the mental trauma which follows him into exile.

Coming under pressure from the media fraternity both inside and outside of Somalia, the Attorney General stated that the investigation had misled the courts and Mr Ibrahim was released. However, prior to leaving jail he knew already that not only was it no longer safe for him to continue with his journalism, but that he would now be an unwelcome citizen in Mogadishu.

After his release death threats began a regular occurrence, phone calls, text messages and emails of a graphic nature were the norm.  Soon the situation worsened when it was found that a number of his legal team had been murdered, this left him with a constant feeling of trepidation.

Leaving his wife, family and work behind he fled Somalia for Uganda which is where he remains in a state of limbo. He continues to be plagued by threats from unidentified sources who have managed to obtain his contact details in Kampala. Like the majority of journalists surveyed by CPJ he cites the threat of violence and death as the dominant reason for why he felt compelled to leave.

 

Of exile he says “Exile is an undefined state to be in, there are no answers. Simply questions, a question mark represents every plan for the future, every dream and aspiration.  Physically you are in one place but mentally you remain back home, you fill your loneliness with thoughts of those you have left behind.”  Speaking with Mr Ibrahim, one recognises that exile is not simply a situation one lives through; it becomes a state of mind.

 

Many journalists who are forced to leave their country of origin are often unable to continue in the field of media in their new homes and resort to take up any form of employment which will pay the bills. Others have no choice but to apply for refugee status and spend their time in a constant state of statelessness. At this moment Mr Ibrahim has not reached a point where any such decisions need to be made by him as he continues to process the events of the last few months.

Beyond his own wellbeing his current concerns centre on the lack of media freedom in Somalia and the rising number of his colleagues who are being killed by unknown sources under a political administration who continue to ignore this issue and do not offer journalists any protection.

 

Despite all, he does not regret his actions stating “As members of the media we are responsible for speaking on behalf of the most vulnerable, to expose the wrongdoings in society today. My hope was that through my interview the government would intervene to prevent other similar attacks taking place. Though this did not happen I am grateful to have given the rape victim a voice, regardless of what it has cost me, ultimately as a journalist it is my job.”

The only possible regret might be the fact that the rapists are still at large. Mrs Barako was sentenced to a year in prison for “making false accusations”. This was soon overturned; however, she like numerous other rape victims in Somalia continues to live in a silenced state of injustice.

Abdiaziz AbdiNur Ibrahim’s steely determination cannot fully cover up the yearning he has for his home, his family and more importantly his reality and purpose in life. As he acclimatises to his surroundings there is a underlying hope that one day soon a life changing phone call, event or piece of legislation will allow him to return to the country which he was punished for trying to serve.

 In the CPJ report, Kenya was listed as one of the main destinations where expelled journalists from the wider region have sought refuge. A large number of these individuals, particularly those from Somalia were given refugee status in Kenya. President William Ruto recently announced that a conference to map out a strategy on the resettlement of Somalian refugees will take place in September 2013, leaving many of these individuals pondering the fate which may await them when they return home.

Although this report does not refer to any Kenyan journalists who may have suffered the same fate, media freedom in Kenya has also made headlines recently.

This year the British Newspaper the Guardian reported that ‘Journalists in Kenya had suffered from an increasing level of violence ahead of the national elections set for March.’ The article stated that many journalists had been threatened and assaulted, often by security officers when covering political events.

Slightly more alarming are the findings of a Study carried out by the Media Council of Kenya, which was published on May 2^nd 2013. Writing for the CPJ’s website, the deputy chief executive officer of the Media Council of Kenya Victor Bwire reported “The working environment for journalists and media workers in Kenya is increasingly hostile, with at least 91 percent of journalists at local media outlets having faced security threats in the course of their work. The harassment of journalists, with nearly 40 percent coming from politicians, indicates a need for urgent attention from both state and non-state actors if press freedom is to be guaranteed in the country.”

This of course brings to mind KTN journalists Mohammed Ali and John- Allan Namu who received a number of anonymous death threats due to their report questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of former Interior Minister George Saitoti.

Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim explained that in his opinion the aim of a journalist is to “expose and describe to the world the struggles of the people” over many decades the press in Kenya have been doing this even in the face of adversity, often giving a voice to the voiceless. The country has long been considered a great example of a country which has embraced a vibrant and free media culture. Despite this, Kenyan journalists do face threats and limitations just like their counterparts in other parts of the region.

Meanwhile the Kenyan media might take heart from a speech made by President Kenyatta when he pledged "I assure the media fraternity in the country that my government will support the media to be free, fair and responsible in conducting their business as provided for by our Constitution as well as international conventions to which Kenya is a signatory"

One can only hope that the President will keep to his word, to quote Thomas Jefferson again “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost”