From the Field
Mar 25, 2011
UGANDA: Somalian journalists form community
Photo: Ahmed Omar Hashi, 44, displays a photo of himself taken in a Mogadishu market after suffering a near-fatal gunshot wound.
U.S. Public Radio:
Somalia's government collapsed two decades ago when civil war broke out. Since then, a weak transitional government has been in place, but militant Islamic groups continue to fight for control. Journalists are pressed to keep quiet about the violence in the country, to report propaganda, and to take sides with either the government or the militants — or suffer the consequences.
As a result, Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists: more than 20 reporters have been killed in the last five years, and many others have fled the country.
Radio news director Ahmed Omar Hashi sought refuge in Uganda after suffering a near-fatal gunshot wound. There, he has found a community of refugee journalists from his homeland. Bonnie Allen reports.
Bio
Bonnie Allen is a freelance journalist living in Liberia, West Africa. Recently, she's reported from Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Uganda, Malawi and Liberia. She produces radio, print, and film.
The Canadian journalist worked for the CBC and CTV for 10 years. She holds a Masters Degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford.
Allen has lectured at the University of Liberia and trained journalists in Liberia and Ghana on human rights reporting, justice and gender issues, documentary production, and feature writing.
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