Somalia Must End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

September 23, 2024 – Somalia – 

Somalia is still grappling with a severe crisis: attacks on journalists persist while perpetrators rarely face justice. According to the International Press Institute (IPI), an alarming number of journalists killed in Somalia have never seen their killers prosecuted.

In November 2023, IPI and the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) formally urged national institutions—including the Attorney General’s Office, the National Media Council, and the Ministry of Information—to prioritize journalist safety and thoroughly investigate at least 11 documented killings dating back to 2016. Despite constitutional guarantees of media freedom and commitments under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, official follow-up has been slow or nonexistent.

Somalia has endured violence. Since 1992, over 70 journalists have been killed in the line of duty—59 during the civil war and the remainder afterward—with almost all cases still unresolved. According to the UN-backed media union NUSOJ, as of November 2024, 62 journalists had died, their names read at a commemoration marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Yet despite this weight of loss, accountability has remained elusive—impunity for these crimes remains the norm.

IPI highlights the need to strengthen the Special Prosecution Unit created in 2020 for crimes against journalists. They insist the unit should take concrete action—investigating, prosecuting, and reporting on progress—rather than existing in name only. Somali civil society and international partners have echoed this demand, emphasizing that a free press is vital to democracy, transparency, and peacebuilding.

Despite efforts such as UK-funded initiatives in 2023 to support media safety and amplify women’s voices, the critical issue remains: when journalists are attacked—or killed—Somalia must respond with more than commemorative speeches. IPI calls on Somali leaders to uphold constitutional protections, actively enforce media freedom, and ensure every attack on a journalist is met with swift justice.

Ending impunity is not just about accountability—it’s essential for restoring public trust, strengthening the rule of law, and empowering journalists to report without fear. Without it, Somalia’s transition toward stability and democratic governance remains fragile and incomplete.

Reference –

Somalia: Impunity for crimes against journalists must end – ipi.media