By Amin Kef Sesay
During a Roundtable Dialogue on the 2nd November 2021 with the Security Sector, marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, which took place at the ONS Conference Room on OAU Drive, Tower Hill in Freetown, President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) , Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, stated that the Association is joining the world to observe the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
He intimated that according to the UN Cultural Agency, UNESCO, which works to protect media workers, in 2020 alone, 62 journalists were killed just for doing their jobs adding how between 2006 and 2020, over 1,200 professionals lost their lives the same way maintaining that in nine out of ten cases, UNESCO says, the killers go unpunished.
President of SLAJ continued that because of the grim statistics this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is highlighting the important role of prosecutorial services, the Police, and the courts, not only in bringing perpetrators to justice but also in prosecuting threats of violence against journalists.
Ahmed Sahid Nasralla revealed that in Sierra Leone, according to a 2020 study by the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) on the Safety of Journalists in the country, the most common threats against journalists are Intimidation, Harassment, Humiliation, Arrest, Detention, and Physical Attack, and the most common perpetrators are the Sierra Leone Police, Military personnel, Politicians, Chiefs/Community, stakeholders/people, Civil servants, and some Members of the public.
He informed that the latest MRCG report on ‘Press Freedom in Sierra Leone’ produced in May 2021 with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), gives a figure of 35 such cases being monitored by the MRCG and SLAJ; 26 of which had been concluded, settled, resolved, dropped or abandoned because of lack of progress; three were in court; and six under police investigation/inconclusive/stalled, according to the report.
He said SLAJ, the MRCG, and the MFWA have been working with the Ministry of Information and Communications to address the inconclusive cases; and in the particular case of Fayia Amara Fayia, he disclosed how they have written a petition to the Minister for his intervention to end the prosecution against the journalist.
“Nevertheless, this year we are observing this day on the backdrop of the historic repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law, which had been a source of justification of various attacks on journalists and media workers in the country,” he told the audience stating how we have begin to see a decline in cases of arrest and detention of journalists on the orders of politicians or influential people, although there is growing concern regarding attacks on journalists in the digital space, including harassment, intimidation, and insult of mostly female journalists.
He said attacks on journalists undermine democracy, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption.
“Journalists must have a safe space to operate despite the dangers that come with the terrain,” he adjudicated maintaining that SLAJ will continue to appeal to the Government and its agencies to empower journalists by giving them a safe and secure atmosphere to do their job without any hindrance or interference.
The SLAJ President added that the security sector must guarantee safety and ensure the protection of journalists during and after presidential, political, and other events, and especially during national elections.
He argued that it is why today the Association is holding the roundtable dialogue with the security sector to start working together to address those challenges.
“Engagements like this are essential for the responsible maintenance of law and order on the one hand, and for ensuring the safety and security of journalists and media workers at all times on the other,” he stated.
He went on to say that without law and order, society will be chaotic and the work and life of journalists will be seriously threatened maintaining that the dialogue will give them an opportunity to understand, respect, and support each other’s role in the functioning of the country’s democracy.
According to him it also gives them an opportunity to peer review their work with a view to making participants better security and media professionals.
He said, furthermore, the partnership will enable journalists to be proactive in addressing potential clashes between security personnel and journalists, as it gives this forum the opportunity for quarterly meetings to look at emerging issues and challenges and try to resolve them.
The SLAJ President said but this partnership should not be only about attacks on journalists continuing that media practitioners are looking to work with the Police and the Military to develop training for journalists covering conflicts.
Nasralla said journalists do not want the Police or the Military to teach them how to firearms or dismantle bombs but want them to teach them how to dodge the bullets in hostile situations.
“How do we avoid being shot in the back, when we try to get that perfect photograph during a protest, or political rally that has gone ugly?” he asked stating how we need to learn how we can protect ourselves in situations of civil conflict/unrest, how we can learn basic survival skills.
He said all of these will help improve the atmosphere within which journalists work and make life easy for even the security forces during such volatile situations.
The SLAJ President expressed thanks to the Security Sector, especially the Office of National Security (ONS) for facilitating the dialogue, for accepting to sit with journalists around the table to talk frankly about the issues, and to forge a partnership and cooperation in the interest of the work that both do, in the interest of their personnel, and in the interest of the common good.
He also thanked the Association’s friends at Bournemouth University for helping them put the draft MoU together.
The SLAJ President said the signing of an MoU as the climax of the roundtable dialogue will cement the partnership with commitments by both parties to adhere to rules and regulations governing their institutions at all times.
He said, meanwhile, SLAJ is also concerned that there are still complaints against journalists at the IMC for unethical journalism practices. According to him, the Association notes the improvements in contents of media houses but called on the few defaulting ones to continue to improve on their performance.
“While we seek opportunities for continuous professional training, we continue to appeal to our colleagues to maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical practice,” he appealed further urging journalists to cross-check and double check and even triple-check depending on the criticality of a story.
He also urged media houses to adopt safety and security policies for their workers, and train journalists on the coverage of sensitive stories and national and international crises.
“We call for the Security sector to be trained in International Law governing the protection and safety of journalists,” he recommended, adding that they are also calling on the courts to defend the rights of journalists to practice safely.
“We appeal to the Private sector, the Government, and media houses to set up a fund to help journalists who are victims,” he also suggested adding that with the roundtable dialogue and the signing of an MoU by both parties, it is believed that a new page of mutual respect, support, and cooperation in the relationship between journalists and the security sector.
On behalf of the security sector, the Acting National Security Coordinator of ONS, Abdulai Caulker, pledged the sector’s unflinching commitment to the professional execution of its duties. He assured journalists of the sector’s protection as well as the willingness to share information as long as such divulgence will not compromise the security of the State.
His assurance was reiterated by the leaderships of the respective security sector institutions, including the IGP, CDS, CFO, DG-SLCS, and DG-CISU, who further assured the gathering that the outcome of the deliberations will be cascaded to other security sector personnel across Sierra Leone.
The engagement was climaxed by the signing of an MOU which central theme is “Setting Forth the Understanding and Commitment of the Parties relating to Safety and Security of Journalists and the Maintenance of Law and Order in Sierra Leone”.
Mr. Umaru Fofanah (former President of SLAJ) did the recitations of the MOU.
