Nairobi (Sunatimes) The Italian Ambassador to Somalia's TFG His Excellence Stefano A. Dejak has welcomed any positive initiative that could help provide support to the Somali journalists working in the war ravaged horn of African state.

Amb. Dejak said the international partners of Somalia, including Italy, stand ready to support the Somali journalists in any concrete and positive initiative they come up with for the benefit of their category.

In a meeting with Mohamed Olad Hassan, the interim chairperson of a newly established journalists’ body, Amb. Dejak said that it is for this very purpose that he hopes that the establishment of FESOJ will deliver useful initiatives in favour of journalists and called for all existing Somali Journalists’ associations to respect on one hand the principle of plurality while endeavouring to unite as much as possible in order to defend the whole category.

"As Italian Ambassador to Somalia's TFG, I am reaffirming my support to Somali journalists as those working in one of the world’s most difficult terrain for journalist in the whole wide world" Amb. Dejak said

During the meeting with FESOJ chairman Amb. Dejak showed his personal sympathy for all Somali journalists, many of whom either lost their lives or got injured in the endless conflict in Somalia.

I am personally pushing the international community to work out a strategy implementing new guidelines for Somalia’s human rights defenders and I hope that will also help the freedom of expression in Somalia.