Launching and Signing Somalia Media Safety Protocol

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Mogadishu, Wednesday 15 August, 2018 – the Somali Media Association (SOMA) has concluded the second day its two-day General Assembly Meeting that has been convened at Makka Almukarama Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia.

The SOMA GA meeting attended by SOMA members of media owners , directors and other key invited guests from IMS/FOJO, Ministry of Information, SOSCENSA, faculty of journalism of the Somali National University, SWJ, SIMHA and NUSOJ were the main participants of today’s meeting.

The main key agenda for the meeting included: presentation of the Safety Protocol, launching and signing the official Somali Media Safety Protocol.

In his opening speech, Mohamed Osman Makaran, the Chairman of SOMA pointed out one of the main topics for the second day SOMA GA meeting is launching and signing the Somalia Safety Protocol and electing new leadership for SOMA.
“We appreciate IMS/FOJO for its support in designing the Safety Protocol for the Somali media and journalists for their protection.” The chairman remarked.

Abukar Albadri, IMS/FOJO Coordinator congratulated SOMA for advancing the process of the Safety Protocol to the level of launching and sighing for protecting the rights and safety of the media and journalists, indicated for the need of its implementation and pledged for support in that direction. He asked the Ministry of Information to apply the Safety Protocol at Radio Mogadishu, Somali National TV and Somali National News Agency to facilitate its implementation.

Abdirahman Aladala, the Director General of the Ministry of Information on his part pointed out that the significance of the Safety Protocol and assured the support of the Ministry of Information for implementation of the Safety Protocol initiative. He called IMS/FOJO to direct its support on the needs of the Somali media for sustainability.

The other key speakers at the event included Muhyadin Rooble from Radio Ergo/IMS-FOJO, Farhia Kheyre , Chairperson of SWJ, Hassan Ali Gesay, Chairman of SIMHA, Farah Nur from NUSOJ and members of SOMA media houses from Garowe, Jowhar, Afgoye , and the Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, SNU. Their speeches focused on the need to implement the Safety Protocol and establish a committee for its follow up, to jointly cooperate in its implementation, to produce Safety Protocol booklet, train the journalists in the Safety Protocol for more understanding, and the owners and directors to give more responsibility to the editors to enable reach decisions on what to transmit and what not to broadcast.

Then, members from SOMA Media owners, Directors and representatives from other stakeholders comprising of Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala, Director General of the Ministry of Information, Mohamed Osman Makaran, Chairperson of SOMA, Farhia Mohamed Kheyre , Chairperson of SWJ, Hassan Ali Gesay, Chairman of SIMHA, and Farah Nur, head of training from NUSOJ has officially launched and signed the Somalia Media Safety Protocol which was developed to be commonly shared manual for the Somali media
houses and journalists.