When we arrived at Forum we received a programme that is dissimilar than the programme we received while we were in our States, this is objectionable to Regional States and Somali media at large. And it dismantled the working relationship between Ministry of Information of Federal Government and Ministers of Information of Regional States of Federal Republic of Somalia.

When Regional State Ministers of Information were disallowed their respective roles and the regard they merited at the Forum and lack of inclusive presence of independent journalists’ community, Ministries of Information of Regional States of Federal Republic of Somalia decided:

1. To evidently and completely boycott the so-called Multi-Stakeholders Safety of Journalists Forum that was expected to focus on safety of journalists in Somalia, because it was devised to use it as a platform for approving a fait accompli matter with no dialogue on genuine issues of safety of journalists.

2. To fully and strongly condemn the organisers of the Forum who rejected to accord Regional State Ministries of Information the roles and responsibilities they ought to have, and this is totally in contradiction of federalism structure that Somalia had embarked on.

3. To notify the Federal Government of Somalia, UNESCO, Somali Media Support Group (SMSG) and international support organisations for Somali media that this forum is not inclusive & fully participatory by all relevant stakeholders because organisations independently representing media were deprived of actively participating, there was no national agenda and this situation is insupportable for Regional States Ministers of Information. Regional States of Federal Republic of Somalia shall not recognize or support any outcome from the so-called forum on safety of journalists in Somalia.

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