Somali Media Relations Strategy Conference concludes in Mogadishu

The conference, which took place in Mogadishu over the past two days, discussed the importance of the Somali Media Relations Strategy and how to unify the messages of the Government and the regional governments of the country that are members of the Federal Government. 

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Government of Somalia organized the conference and was attended by various officials from the Federal Government, the regional governments of the country, the Banadir Regional Administration, the media, civil society and representatives from international partners.

The Somali Media Relations Strategy Forum, which was held today and was supported by the Ministry of Information with the support of the United Nations Interim Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), is expected to be a pioneer in the direction of the community in state-building, unifying messages and raising awareness in our society," said a statement from the Ministry of Information of Somalia. 

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry and Acting Minister Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala, who first spoke at the forum, said that the Somali Government has focused on unifying the messages of the government and the direction of the Somali people, and has achieved significant successes. 

The conference was divided into three discussions, namely, Managing the Importance of Media Relations in the Modern Era, Improving and Unifying the Messages of Various Government Institutions, and Facilitating the Right to Information for the Media and the Public. 

The Director General of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdullahi Xayir Duale, indicated that the conference was an opportunity for the government, the media and the public to discuss in order to strengthen public awareness and increase government transparency.

Somali Defense Minister Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, who spoke at the conference, said that the media played an important role in the fight to liberate the country from Al-Shabaab.

“In the victories achieved in the War against the Khawarij, the media played an important role, exposing the looting and oppression that the Khawarij had inflicted on the liberated society,” said Minister Abdukadir Mohamed Nur Jama. 

The Minister of Communications of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mohamed Adan Macalin, said at the conference that they had succeeded in shutting down Al-Shabaab accounts on social media. 

“With the cooperation of the Ministry of Information, we have removed thousands of Khawarij accounts on social media that were misleading our people,” said the Minister of Communications of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mohamed Adan Macalin. 

Finally, the representatives from the International Friends of Somalia described the development and unification of media relations and the prevention of false information that Al-Shabaab is spreading to mislead the public as a positive step.