Journalists and press freedom advocates in Somalia have raised concerns over information sharing and freedom of speech in the country.
The Council of Ministers approved the bill in March 2024 and sent it the Official Information Bill to the Federal Parliament for approval.
The bill is designed to control the dissemination of information to the public.
The East African reported that a number of organisations including the National Union of Journalists, International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the African Freedom of Information Centre and the Federation of African Journalists are firmly opposing the bill. They said it will hamper transparency and free speech.
“They argue that it contains proposals that will restrict access to information and hamper the work of journalists in investigating and holding government officials to account, a duty they say is protected by Somalia’s constitution and international human rights standards.”
“They also argue that the law will undermine transparency by shielding government officials from explaining decisions.”
They have also raised concerns about the credibility of the law, which was approved without consultation, and are calling on the Somalian government to withdraw the bill so it can be fully reviewed. They said the bill needs to promote transparency and be in line with the African Union Model Law on Access to Information.
According to the Reporters Without Borders index, Somalia ranks 145 out of 180 countries for press freedom, and is considered a “the most dangerous country for journalists in Africa.”
Reporters Without Borders said its legal frameworks are also very repressive.
“Journalists are often brought before military courts, which are used to justify prolonged detention, or civilian courts that rely on a 1964 penal code or laws that date from the military dictatorship. A moratorium on the arrests of journalists, which the authorities promised in 2020, has still not been adopted.”
The Federal Government of Somalia has failed to heed the concerns and criticism expressed by the lobbyists, All Africa reported.
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