Tuesday September 3, 2024
Omar Faruk Osman Nur, President of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), addresses the African Union's Peace and Security Council via video conference on the urgent need to protect journalists across Africa. CREDIT: NUSOJ
Mogadishu (HOL) — The President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), Omar Faruk Osman Nur, has issued an urgent appeal to the African Union's Peace and Security Council (PSC) to enhance the protection of journalists across Africa. Speaking via video conference on Monday, Nur highlighted the growing threats facing journalists, particularly in conflict zones, and called for immediate action to safeguard their safety.
"Journalists in Africa are operating in increasingly perilous environments, where violent non-state actors and restrictive laws create a climate of fear," Nur stated. He warned that these conditions force many journalists into self-censorship, exile, or even abandonment of their profession, undermining the public's right to information.
The FAJ president outlined the two major safety crises confronting African journalists: physical threats, including violence and targeted killings, and legal challenges, such as arbitrary arrests under outdated laws. "These threats create a chilling effect, forcing many journalists into self-censorship, exile, or to abandon their profession altogether," Nur said.
Female journalists, Nur pointed out, face additional gender-specific threats, including online harassment, threats of rape, and other forms of violence. "These relentless assaults have forced some female journalists to abandon their careers, underscoring the severe and unique challenges they face in their courageous pursuit of journalism," he added.
Citing data from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Nur highlighted the more than 110 journalists killed in Africa over the past decade. "The loss of even a single journalist is a profound injustice, and these deaths serve as a powerful call to action to protect those who risk everything to keep the public informed," he said.
Nur urged the PSC to take concrete steps to protect journalists, including establishing rapid response mechanisms, creating safe zones in conflict areas, and advocating for the revision of restrictive laws. He also called for the formation of an African Group of Friends of the Safety of Journalists to promote these efforts.