Somalia information bill gets press lobbies worried
Journalists cover an event.
Press freedom lobbies are raising concerns about Somalia’s new proposed information law they argue will hurt their work.
The Official Information Bill (OIB) which has already been approved by the Council of Ministers and tabled to the Federal Parliament for endorsement is supposed to control the dissemination of information to the public. But lobbies say there has been no consultation to have their input accepted.
The National Union of Journalists (Nusoj) as well as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), warned in a statement that the bill threatens to undermine the country’s democratic foundations.
Access to information
They argue some proposals will restrict access to information and hinder the work of journalists to investigate and put government officials to the accountability test, 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.
The lobbies want the Somali government to withdraw the bill so it can be comprehensively reviewed by relevant stakeholders to warrant the law promotes transparency and aligns with the African Union Model Law on Access to Information.
“The Bill introduces overly broad and vague exemptions on confidentiality that effectively obstruct access to critical information, without clear harm or public interest tests,” the proclamation stated.
“These exemptions unjustifiably limit the flow of information, violating the public's right to know.”
The government has argued the law was necessary to avoid leaking state secrets to the public, especially in plans to counter the al-Shabaab menace. It also argues it needs to restrict the sources of government information to ensure important documents do not fall into the wrong hands.
Culture of secrecy
However, the advocacy groups argued the bill has been drafted in secrecy without public or stakeholder consultations which they argue puts the proposed law’s legitimacy in question and risks fostering a culture of secrecy within Somalia’s public sector, potentially leading to corruption.
“This clandestine approach not only undermines the bill’s legitimacy and national support but also risks entrenching a culture of secrecy within Somalia’s public institutions and enabling corruption to flourish if it is adopted,” the media promoters stressed.
Viewed as vague, the bill was identified as being short of clear definitions, especially the provisions outlining national security.
“The Bill’s ambiguous definitions allow these provisions to be exploited as a pretext for withholding information, posing a significant threat to transparency and public accountability,” it was stated.
“This could easily be misused to shield government activities from scrutiny, eroding the fundamental right to information and enabling potential abuses of power.”
The warning against the shortage of world-standard lawmaking is due to Somalia being among the most perilous places in the world to work as a journalist and in media houses.
For more than three decades, tens of journalists and reporters have been killed in the course of their work, media houses looted or closed and many had to flee Somalia for their safety.
