Month: June 2021

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Somali Journalists Launch ‘Disinformation Lab’ to Combat Spread of Fake News

The Federation of Somali Journalists has launched a campaign to combat the spread of false information, fake news, hate speech and propaganda. The federation says Somalia is already seeing a huge spike in social media misinformation campaigns ahead of elections expected before the end of July.

The country’s chronic internal conflict and political instability has made Somalia a fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. The growing number of young Somalis who connect and share news on social media platforms has become a prime target for this tide of fake news.

One example is a news headline that said the Somali Parliament wanted to oust the prime minister after he objected to a term extension for President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. It later turned out to be fake news.

To curb the growing challenge for media workers in the country, the Federation of Somali Journalists has launched what it calls a Disinformation Lab to combat the spread of lies, myths and distortions ahead of upcoming elections.

The lead researcher and director of the lab, Mohamed Abdimalik, says they will give journalists the necessary skills and knowledge to detect fake news during polls.

“The lab’s researchers will support journalists with digital tools, training and other resources to detect, analyze and flag false election-related news in real-time fashion,” Abdimalik said. “In a fragile environment where trust is so low, safeguarding the election process from fake news is as crucial as saving the country from descending into civil war again.”

Journalists, key bloggers and social media influencers in Somalia say there is a need for extra caution during the presidential and parliamentary election process.

“As journalists, bloggers and social media influencers, we have extra responsibility, especially during elections, to inform the public about the crucial process,” said Hassan Osman Istiila, a journalist in Somalia. “Thus, we need to be very careful not to run news that (is) not verified, because it will be irresponsible. Better late news than fake news.”

The Somali government, which has a poor record when it comes to press freedom in the country, says it will play its part in reducing fake news during the polls by giving access to journalists in the voting centers so they can get firsthand information.

Abdirahim Isse Adow, who is the director of media training at the Ministry of Information, says the ministry will also boost awareness campaigns about fake news through state media and in collaboration with civil society groups and religious leaders.

Meanwhile, Somali political leaders have appealed to the media to perform their duties professionally and responsibly as the Horn of Africa nation gears up for what promises to be a competitive presidential election.

Source: Voice of America

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Ex Uganda Army Commander Survives Apparent Assassination Attempt

Uganda’s army spokesman said unidentified gunmen attacked the transport minister and former defense forces chief, General Edward Katumba Wamala, on Tuesday while he was traveling in an army vehicle with his daughter. The army says he was injured, while his daughter and driver were killed.

The former chief of defense forces, General Edward Katumba Wamala, was leaving his home in an army Land Cruiser when unknown assailants traveling on two motorcycles shot at the vehicle, according to authorities.

Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso, the army spokesperson, spoke to VOA about the incident.

“The assailants riding on boda boda’s [motorcycle taxis] shot at his vehicle. The occupants in his, including daughter and the driver, died on spot. At this point in time, I can’t tell whether it was an attempted assassination. Investigations have already started and we shall be releasing the details as they come in,” she said.

The general, who is mainly referred to as Katumba, is now being treated for his injuries at a hospital cordoned off by the army.

Katumba spoke to two other daughters from his hospital bed.

“I’ve survived. We have lost Brenda; that’s God’s plan. She did nothing to this world. But the bad guys have done it. But God has given me a second chance, I’ll pull through. Don’t worry, I don’t have bad injuries, only the arms, but I’ll be fine. I’m with the doctors and the doctors are doing everything possible,” said Katumba.

This will be the 37th such attack since 2015. The 36 previous ones ended with the deaths of the targeted victims including a police spokesperson, Muslim clerics and a state prosecutor, Joan Kagezi, who was working on an al-Shabab attack-related murder trial. Kagezi was the lead prosecutor in the trial of 13 men accused of the 2010 bombings in Kampala in which 76 people were killed while watching the World Cup.

General Katumba was chief of defense forces from 2013 to 2017. He also became inspector general of police in 2001. Katumba was the first military officer to serve with the police.

Katumba is the outgoing works and transport minister.

Source: Voice of America

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350,000 Victims of Goma Volcanic Eruption Urgently Need Aid, UN Says

Aid agencies say 350,000 people affected by the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo are in need of urgent assistance.

Mount Nyiragongo erupted on May 22, turning the sky a fiery red and spewing lava into nearby villages. More than 30 people were killed.

Fears of a second volcanic eruption caused a mass exodus from Goma of most of its 450,000 residents on May 27. Around a quarter of that population fled to the neighboring town of Sake in the eastern province of North Kivu.

The U.N. refugee agency left behind a team of nine people in the area to evaluate the needs of the displaced. The agency and partners immediately began distributing plastic sheeting, water and other aid.

The head of the UNHCR office in Goma, Jackie Keegan, says she and her team since have returned to Goma. Speaking on a video link, she describes the situation in the city as one of uncertainty and unease.

“Yes. I am scared of the aftershocks, of course. Less scared now than I was when the windows were shaking every minute, which was happening about four days ago. But—yeah, it is scary. We are living on an active volcano… Like everybody else who ran away from the volcano, we are trying to figure out how to be as useful as possible in a challenging time,” she said.

The International Organization for Migration reports the eruption has displaced more than 415,000 people, nearly half of them minors. Most have travelled to towns in the eastern DRC, while roughly 52,000 have crossed the border into Rwanda.

IOM spokesman Paul Dillon says about a quarter of those who have fled Goma are very vulnerable and in need of special aid. These groups, he says, include breastfeeding women, the chronically ill, pregnant women, unaccompanied children, the elderly and the disabled.

“Should the displacement last, it is essential that we consider how we are going to prevent the spread of epidemics, facilitate humanitarian assistance and get kids back to school. IOM is particularly concerned by the health hazards linked to the eruption itself, the displacement to areas with pre-existing outbreaks, the lack of access to clean water and the increased burden placed on health facilities,” he said.

Aid agencies warn that people in Goma are at increased risk of cholera, which is endemic in the region and easily spread in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation and insufficient clean water.

The World Food Program reports it has started providing emergency food rations to thousands of people displaced from Goma. Based on assessments carried out over the past week, the WFP says it aims to reach 165,000 people in three cities of refuge. It says additional emergency food assistance is being provided to Congolese who have gone to Rwanda.

Source: Voice of America