Mogadishu — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has today concluded a media-training workshop aimed at building the capacity of journalists in Somalia to effectively cover human rights and conflicts in Somalia in observance of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on 3rd May 2012.

The 3-day workshop, which started on 30th April and ended today, 2nd May, trained 20 journalists drawn from different media houses included comprehensive understanding of human rights and conflicts and practical skills of effective and sensitive reporting human rights violations and conflicts.

The workshop, supported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Union (EU), was also held within the framework of the World Press Freedom Day. Journalists took the opportunity to remember journalists who were killed or victimized in the pursuit of their journalistic profession. The workshop was also an opportunity for the journalists to reiterate their commitment to the principal that journalists have the right to report freely and without fear.

NUSOJ marked this world press freedom day to amplify its importance in bringing attention to the predicaments journalists go through while carrying out their profession and to underscore the need for press freedom and safe practice of journalism in Somalia.

"We are keen to enhance the capacity of journalists in the country to understand human rights and to cover conflicts more sensitively given the history of the country," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman during the opening of the workshop.

Somali journalists face safety and security challenges, which include intimidation, harassment, assaults, arrests, imprisonment and even killings.