Despite
escaping their conflict-ravaged country and resettling in the Kenyan suburb of
Eastleigh, also known as, ‘Little Mogadishu’, Somali journalists in exile face
a raft of threats and dangers which make daily life unimaginably difficult.
Doha Centre for Media Freedom recently met with a number of exiled Somali
journalists in Nairobi to find out about their experiences and daily
lives.
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Somali
exiled journalists such as Ubah Abdinor face a huge number of difficulties
trying to get by in Nairobi
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Comprising the largest group of exiled
journalists in Kenya, Somali media workers face a multitude of difficulties in
their quest to build a new life in their adopted country.
Because of political sensitivities
between their country and Kenya and the threats that many journalists
face in Somalia – the deadliest nation in the world for journalists in 2012,
with the exception of Syria – many exiled journalists have found themselves in
a new and intimidating city without the required paperwork to enable them to
establish a sustainable life.
After meeting the journalists in
Nairobi, it becomes abundantly clear that despite their attempts to flee
persecution and danger at home, issues which plagued their lives in Somalia
remain a grave concern in their adopted homeland, and despite their shared
experiences and difficulties, tribal and political issues continue to result in
divisions within the wider exiled community.
Lives thrown into chaos
Mohamed Garane, 29 who works for the
National Union of Somali Journalists in Kenya, came to Nairobi in 2010 after
being forced from Somalia where he worked for Horn Afrique radio
station. He is one of the most prominent exiled journalists in Kenya and
helps to welcome his fellow media workers when they find themselves stranded
away from home.
He was arrested three times during his
work in Somalia, and was pressurised and harassed by members of Al
Shabaab. After receiving threats against his life, he decided to flee to
Nairobi.
“I liked this profession ever since I
was young, it was my passion - it is really in my blood and in my veins,” he
tells DCMF, reminiscing about his early years listening to the BBC World
Service with his grandfather.
During
a meeting with some 40 media workers from Somalia, they explain how much
Garane’s efforts have helped to bring an important element of stability to
lives which have been thrown into chaos.
Unlike
their counterparts in Kenya, many journalists from Somalia do not speak English
and are therefore at a major disadvantage. Having people like Garane and
his colleagues available to assist and coordinate medical and legal assistance
with international groups has proven to be a major help for exiled Somalis.
Journalism
in Somalia: a “suicide mission”
“I
have never thought about stopping journalism,” Garane says, “even though I do
have threats coming to me from all around.” He explained that he had recently
received text messages threatening his life and detailing his movements around
his mosque.
While
he is one of the more prominent members of the community, Garane’s experience
is far from unique. His colleagues continue to be targeted by Al Shabaab,
even though they have fled Somalia.
It
is obvious that the threat of the extremist group extends far beyond Somalia’s
borders, and that members of the media have regularly been targeted even after
relocating to Nairobi.
“I
am living like a scapegoat and Kenyan soldiers can arrest me at any time and I
don’t have any legal documents to help me do anything,” another journalist told
DCMF, while his colleague noted: “It is a suicide mission to be a journalist in
Somalia where there is no freedom of expression – that is why we came here for
help.”
Challenges
facing female journalists
The
situation does not get any better for female Somali journalists. On top
of the difficulties faced by the rest of the exiled community, female
journalists confront the added struggle of overcoming cultural and religious
taboos.
Ubah
Dahir Osman fled Mogadishu after receiving threats from Al Shabaab. She
now shares an appartment with five other women and struggles to make her rent
on a monthly basis.
She
has recently received a number of threatening text messages, leaving her
fearing for her life and without anywhere to turn for help.
Her
colleague, Ubah Abdinor, was forced from Somalia after being arrested on three
separate occasions. She also suffered three attacks at the hands of Al
Shabaab and had to be smuggled into Kenya twice after initially being deported.
Describing
the threats she has received as “uncountable,” she says that “being a Somali
journalist in exile is hell.”
“We
are vulnerable in every way – being a journalist and a woman is very
difficult,” she notes, adding that certain taboos and cultural issues make her
living arrangements even more challenging.
Ubah
Abdiw Adood lives in Eastleigh with her brother, who is suffering from a number
of psychiatric issues and is unable to work. She lives in terrible
conditions, yet she can barely afford her rent, meaning that the threat of
eviction constantly looms.
She
recalls how she was attacked by police during a raid before the 2013
presidential elections on her appartment block, meaning that she has her own
medical issues to deal with. Like the other Ubahs, a number of social and
cultural problems have added to her woes, leaving her in a truly dire
situation.
These
women, and countless others in similar tragic circumstances, struggle to get
through their daily lives, and all live in fear of what might await them in the
future.
Divided
group
Surprisingly
enough, one of the challenges facing Somali journalists in exile could be
described as being self-imposed. As opposed to forming a united front and
standing in solidarity with other journalists from their country, some have
chosen to segregate themselves along tribal and political lines.
Vying
for attention from international organisations to assist their causes,
journalists have established a large number of different organisations, and the
different groups do not always see eye-to-eye.
“The
divisions are there, as they have ever been in the Somali government – the
media is no different,” noted Garane, adding “there is a background of clan
issues.”
Garane
claimed that tribalism and corruption had infiltrated a previous formed entity
to support exiled journalists, and the ensuing mistrust has made it impossible
for all Somali journalists to be represented under one group.
“It
would help, but we have missed that one, we are lacking,” he said.
Unwavering
determination
While
there are divisions within the group, something which unites Somali exiled
journalists is their incredible commitment to their work and their
determination to improve their situation.
Many
have taken up studies during their time in exile, and there is a thriving media
community which has developed out of the most difficult of circumstances.
Star
FM is a radio
station based in Eastleigh, offering daily broadcasts in Somali (and one hour
of Swahili programming), which is particularly popular throughout the community
and offers extensive coverage across Kenya. The station also provides
journalists with the opportunity to work on a freelance basis, and assists them
with training and other needs.
Co-chairman
of the station, Hajji Mohamud explained that the station also has a training
centre to help develop the capacity of exiled journalists who find themselves
without employment when they arrive in Kenya.
There
are other radio and television stations providing a similar service in
Eastleigh, helping those many thousands of Somalis who have fled the country to
feel a bit more at home, and providing journalists with the opportunities to
continue working and developing their professional capacity.
“Nowhere
to run”
Despite
the commitment to journalism and to bettering themselves, there is an
underlying sense of hopelessness throughout the Somali exiled journalist
community. They have no idea if and when they will get the paperwork they
require to be employed, and many are faced with the more pressing issue of
desperately trying to secure their next meal.
Many
are wary of journalist impersonators negatively affecting them as a group, and
there is a need to verify that people are who they say they are.
Furthermore, journalists need to ensure that they follow codes of ethics and
work responsibly to try and improve the position of the industry as a whole in
Somalia.
As
one female journalist pointed out: “We need to be accountable in our work and
we need to accept responsibility for our work. It is too easy to be a
journalist – we need better education.”
Some
will have the opportunity to pursue education in their new homes. But for
the majority, studying is a highly desirable but equally highly unlikely
proposition.
The
reality is that exiled Somali journalists flee a life of danger and fear and
find themselves faring hardly any better.
As
another journalist explained: “Abroad trouble, and inside Somalia, trouble –
there is nowhere to run.”
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