After UN Conflict Reporting Workshop: Journalists more conscious of their safety

Journalists  in family picture  after the opening of the Kribi Workshop

 

By Christopher Ambe

Kribi-Cameroon-Journalists of both the public and private media last September 11 emerged from a four-day workshop more conscious of their right to security and safety when covering crises and conflicts.

 The 27 journalists were also taught what constitutes hate speech and how to avoid it in the exercise of their duties

The journalists, drawn from the Southwest, Northwest, Littoral and Centre regions of Cameroon, had   converged on the resort town of Kribi, from September 8-11 for a workshop on “Mainstreaming Protection in Reporting on Crises and Conflicts  in the Central African Region:The Case of  in Cameroon”.

The workshop, which took place at Hotel Framotel in Kribi, was organized by five United Nations agencies-OHCHR, UNOCA, UNDP, UNESCO and UNICEF, as the first of a series of such workshops to be organized in the Central Africa Sub region, for media professionals and security and defense forces.

 The participants welcomed the workshop, mindful of the ongoing crises and conflicts in Cameroon such the Anglophone Crisis, Boko Haram deadly attacks and Corona Virus/COVID 19 pandemic, and the threats to security and safety of media practitioners covering them.

The workshop was opened by the 1^st Assistant Senior Divisional Officer for Ocean Division,Mrs. Josiane Nko’o Ella, who urged journalists to do their job as legally and ethically required. She lauded the UN for ensuring the protection of journalists, hoping that the workshop would improve media coverage of the crises and conflicts in Cameroon

Welcoming participants via a Skype, Mr. Hilaire Mputu, interim head of UNESCO in Cameroon, reiterated the important role of the media in society. But Mr. Mputu regretted that, thousands of journalists have been killed in relation to their job, while many others have been harassed, tortured, arrested with others facing sexual violence and long pre-trial detention.

He urged journalists to be law-abiding and professional, but warned them against using the cover of their profession to do anything.

” Your safety is more important than the crises and conflicts you cover”, he noted.

Mr. Mputu emphasized that the lives of journalists must be protected by all to ensure that they carry out their work safely for the good of society.

During the workshop, media professionals were advised to take their safety and security much more seriously in the exercise of their job.

 The Human Rights, Communication and Advocacy Officer at the UN Human Rights Centre in Cameroon,  Kiven Fonyuy Timothy Frankline  who was one of the facilitators at the workshop, reiterated  that there is no great journalist in the grave, wishing that  no journalist should be killed in the exercise of their job. 

Colonel Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo, in charge of communication in the Ministry of Defense in Yaounde, talked on the theme “Building relationships that strengthen protection- the case of Law Enforcement Officers, Defense and Security Forces and Non State Armed Groups.”

He said the state (via military) has the obligation to guarantee the security and protection of the population including journalists.

He said the Ministry of Defense is now more open and ready to collaborate with journalists covering conflicts. He advised journalists of the need for proper identification and neutrality when in the conflict area, so as not to be treated as a suspect.

Dr. Emini Zephirin, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP and Fajong Joseph, UNDP national communication and advocacy expert discussed the “UNDP Recovery Plan” for the crisis-stricken Northwest and Southwest regions.

Salomon Biguel, Communication Officer for UNICEF Yaounde drilled participants on “Protection of vulnerable groups in complex emergencies-the role of the media professionals.”

“National, regional and international Protection  mechanisms for journalists”  was a also a topic at the workshop, presented by Serge Banyimbe, Communication for Development Specialist at UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa.He discussed  the UN plan of action for safety of journalists with focus on the protection mechanisms. He expressed the wish to a national protection mechanism in Cameroon soon.

Mr. Kiven Fonyuy dwelled on “Hate speech: causes, consequences and the role of the media in combating hate and discriminatory speech in the media.”

 Participants were briefed on UN Security Council Resolution 2222(2015) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict; they discussed how to best Practices communicate COVID19 prevention and response in situations of violence and conflict.

The workshop ended with participants adopting a check list for detecting hate speech in the media and another one for conflict/crisis reporting. They also   resolved to improve on their collaboration and networking.