Life
in exile is never easy. Here journalists and officials discuss the
challenges associated with media workers having to flee their country because
of their work.
 |
|
Ethiopian
journalist Zerihun Tesfaye who has recently relocated to the US after living in
exile in Nairobi
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Imagine
dedicating your life to a profession in the knowledge that it will almost
certainly fail to provide you with financial stability. Then imagine that
as a result of work you have done, you are harassed, attacked, threatened and
even forced out of your country. For many journalists in East Africa,
this is all too common a tale.
And
this is only the beginning of the story.
Fleeing
one’s country means leaving behind loved ones, colleagues and a home, and the
struggle to reunite with any of these can often result in tragic consequences.
During
a recent trip to Nairobi, representatives of the centre met with a number of
journalists who had fled countries in the East Africa region in an attempt to
remain safe.
Their
lives are difficult, and they face common problems related to finding the
necessary means to survive, as well as personal problems with security
officials and governments.
Living
in fear
In
addition to the incredible powers of perseverance displayed by the exiled
journalists, one of the most striking aspects of their daily lives is the
constant fear looming over them. These are people who are completely
terrified of their surroundings and immediately suspicious of everyone they
meet.
Many
are reluctant to speak to us at first, and some request that comments they make
remain anonymous. During an evening interview in a hotel restaurant, one
of the journalists receives a phone call from a neighbour checking on his
safety as he had not yet returned home. The reality of living as an exiled
journalist is that being away from home for an extended period of time could
potentially spell danger or even death. These journalists quite literally
fear for their lives.
And
they have good reason to do so. Godwin Agaba is a journalist from Rwanda
who was forced from his country in 2010 when he was publically accused by the
President, Paul Kagame of inciting political instability and being responsible
for grenade attacks, along with four other journalists.
“I
crossed into Uganda that day, and the security officials started looking for
us,” he tells DCMF, adding that many people believed him dead until he gave an interview to KPFA when he was in
hiding.
On
November 30, 2011, the danger which Agaba was facing was made abundantly and
tragically clear.
“I
was staying with a colleague in Kampala, another Rwandan journalist called Charles Ingabire –
that night he was called by someone in a hotel and he was gunned down, he never
returned back,” he says, adding “shot dead – he died on the spot.”
Godwin
has been attacked himself, and was hit by a bus and left for dead, leaving him
requiring essential medical attention (for which DCMF provided
assistance). A hugely experienced and well known journalist, he was left
devastated, alone and desperate in his adopted country, in the same situation
as a large number of fellow journalists from across the region.
A
long process
When
we met Godwin, he was severely disheartened after his resettlement to the US
had been delayed because of administrative issues. Weeks earlier, he had
literally been stepping onto a plane to his new home and safety when he was
informed he did not have the correct paperwork. Further issues led to longer
delays and he was unsure as to when his new flight would be processed.
However,
since our return to Qatar, Godwin has been successfully relocated to the US and
is looking forward to developing his technical skills in the future.
Despite
the delays, Godwin’s case was processed relatively quickly as it was a high
profile story. However, the process is not always quite as clear-cut and
many exiled journalists we spoke to felt that they were living in limbo, unsure
as to the status of their applications for resettlement, and desperate to be
relocated to countries where they could live and pursue their careers in
safety.
United
Nations High Commission for Refugees
The
main port of call for exiled journalists is the office of the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the institution which provides refugees
with the necessary paperwork to make their stay in their new country
official. The UNHCR also works on resettlement cases, interviewing refugees
to decide whether they should be granted one of the relocation positions
offered by various donor countries.
As
such, this is one of the busiest buildings in Nairobi, constantly attended by
refugees from across the region, many of whom are journalists seeking a future
in which their safety and security will no longer be in doubt.
While
in Nairobi, DCMF met with a UNHCR official, who explained that the institution
is “working very closely” with the Kenyan government to enable them to handle
all issues related to refugees in Kenya in the future.
He
noted that the government has recently repeated calls for all refugees to be
moved to camps as opposed to living in urban areas. “For a long time they have
been very flexible, but because of security issues, refugees are now being told
to go to camps,” he explained.
“Kenya
has been extremely accommodating to refugees – I cannot think of another
country which has been so good to refugees,” he said, noting that there are now
nearly 700,000 refugees on record in the country, and countless others
remaining unregistered.
Refugees
continue to pour in from Somalia, and with conflict in countries such as South
Sudan and elsewhere, there are large numbers of exiled journalists attempting
to build a home in Kenya. He explained that journalists are not provided
any special dispensation in their applications for resettlement: “We treat all
asylum seekers exactly the same – we treat each and every case individually.”
The
official noted that recent issues have resulted in a general shift in public
opinion towards refugees, especially in relation to those from Somalia.
“We have campaigns we run to try and make people see that refugees can make a
positive difference,” he said, adding “but I would say that intolerance is growing
because of security issues.”
The
major problem is that the number of applications for resettlement far outweighs
the allocated places offered by governments around the world, meaning that
cases can often be protracted, and some exiled journalists find themselves
waiting for three or four years to be granted a ticket to a new life.
After
finding out that their applications are successful, refugees are then given an
intense course preparing them for their new life abroad by the International Organisation for Migration.
Some may have not even had the chance to travel by air before, and moving to an
unknown location offers a completely new challenge, albeit a slightly
less frightening one.
“I
still believe in change”
While
most exiled journalists are desperate to relocate to pastures new, others worry
about moving further away from home. No matter where they are forced to
live, they keep a constant eye on home in the hope that the political issues
which drove them away may be resolved and that they will be able to return.
Zerihun
Tesfaye fled to Nairobi in 2009 from his native Ethiopia after being targeted
by the authorities. Despite the difficult situation facing journalists in his
homeland, he remains hopeful for the future.
“I
believe in change,” he said, adding “no one believed what would have happened
with the death of President Menes last year. We hoped that there would be
change after the days of Menes, actually the reverse happened and it’s getting
worse.”
“But
I still believe in change,” he added.
Zerihun’s
story, or at least this chapter of it, has a happy ending. He has since
relocated to the US and is hoping to be able to develop his skills as a
journalist with an eye on returning to Ethiopia in the future after his time in
exile.
Living
as a refugee is a major challenge for anyone, but for media workers, used to
playing an important role in society and communicating with people on a daily
basis, the restrictions a life in exile imposes upon them are particularly
devastating.
The
uncertainty of waiting for news about potential resettlement, the constant fear
of security forces and an inbuilt suspicion regarding everything and everyone
around them makes life in exile excruciatingly stressful for media workers.
Yet
they remain positive. They look forward to a time when they can return to
their countries and when they can play a constructive role in the development
of peaceful democracies. Despite the personal hardship many have endured,
they remain committed to their profession, and long for the opportunity to
develop their skills and career in the future.
Source: Doha Centre
for Media Freedom
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