Training programs have opened for twenty Somali journalists exiled in Kenya on Thursday 27th November organized by SOCFEX funded and supported by International Media Support (IMS).

Training programs have opened for twenty Somali journalists exiled in Kenya on Thursday 27th November organized by SOCFEX funded and supported by International Media Support (IMS).

The training program aims to support the exiled Somali journalists to stay in the journalism professional as well as update their journalistic skills. A total of 20 of both gender (9 female and 11 male) have been selected to participate in this training. There are more than sixty journalists who have been exile in Kenya since late 2007.

The training was without controversial because of the limited space of numbers of twenty against the sixty exiled journalists some felt left out.

Nevertheless, the training opened smoothly and expected to cover areas of journalism critical to Somali journalists such as reporting in war zone, conflict reporting, ethics of journalism, freedom expression, media democratization, conflict sensitivity and most of important of all conducting journalism to help bring peace in war torn countries like Somalia.

The training will be facilitated by media experts from Kenya and Somalia, it is expected to last for four weeks.

The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries including members of the Somali transitional federal parliament (TFP), Jane Ramma, program assistance of EU office for Somalia, Abduba Mollu from CFLI- Somali Coordinator (Canadian International Development Agency) and other distinguished guests.

Those who spoke at the ceremony included Jane Ramma who said the training is for good cause and the EU supports and encourages the Somali journalists. Similarly, Abduba Mollu emphesised to the trainees to take advantage of the opportunity, and added media has a big role to bring peace into Somali.

The deputy speaker of the TFP Prof. Mohamed Omar Dalha, also spoke at the ceremony encouraged the trainees to take full advantage of the opportunity and should be thinking of returning home despite the insecurity and violence because he said without journalists in our beleaguered country the plight of our people would have known.

The Coordinator of Somali Coalition for Freedom of Expression (SOCFEX) Mr. Osman Moallim who also spoke at the ceremony concurred with the deputy speaker by emphasizing that the media and journalists could be used as a force for peace.

Mr. Moallim also added that the media have been subjected to continuous attack, harassment and abuse by warring parties in the country. He also encouraged the trainees to update their skills especially violence evasive journalism knowledge and to return home to serve their people and country at the earliest possible opportunity.

Finally the Coordinator thanked IMS for it continuous support to Somali media without which it would have been impossible to organise such training.