Somalia: EU Presidency Declaration condemning killings of two journalists

Mahad Ahmed Elmi and Ali Iman Chamarke were prominent voices in Somalia whose work was essential to promote democracy and reconciliation. There is no excuse to attack or intimidate those who express their opinions under the protection of article 19 of the Convention on Civil and Political Rights which entered into force in Somalia on 24 April 1990.

The EU recalls to the Somali authorities that they have a responsibility to end impunity and urges them to initiate an impartial investigation concerning these murders as well as other reports of harassment and crimes against journalists.

The killing of the two journalists underlines the urgent need for all parties in Somalia to commit themselves to a political solution to the crisis, and the importance of substantive deliberations at the national Reconciliation Conference launched on July 15 in Mogadishu. Journalists have indeed a critical role to play in the success of the reconciliation process. Only through their efforts can the visions of the different participants be shared with the Somali population across the country and beyond, and thus ensure that the conference is an inclusive process, condition sine qua non of its success.

The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.


* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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• EU Council Conclusions on Somalia (14/5/2007)
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