(Bamako, MALI- 29 April 2013)- The International Federation of Journalists today has organised its first safety training for journalists in Mali. The training taking place in Bamako, the capital city gathered a group of twenty journalists from all media outlets, Gao and Tombouctou regions, is organised in partnership with IFJ’s local affiliate the National Union of Mali Journalists (UNAJOM in French acronym) and the Press House, “Maison de la Presse”.
“Through this training we stand in solidarity with our colleagues journalists and media practitioners in Mali in these difficult times their country is facing,” said Jim Boumelha IFJ’s President. “It will help participants to acquire knowledge which will be for paramount importance in their work during this period of conflict. The training includes practical advice and tips to take into account in order to reduce risks and threats, and be aware of all kind of dangers in the field.”
The training is an IFJ response to the military and political crisis Mali is facing and which constitutes a threat to the security of journalists who need to cover it.
The IFJ, considering that the necessity to guarantee the security of journalists is an assurance for their independence, has developed these recent years, a number of practical competencies which will allow journalists to minimize the risks they may face in the course of their work. Ten safety trainings were organized in Eastern Africa last year with the support of the European Union. Nearly 200 journalists have been trained and each of them with the capacity to share experience with other colleagues.
“We are particularly targeting countries at risk and a number of them are located in Africa where in 2012, 21 journalists have been killed in the course of their work,” said Beth Costa, IFG Secretary General.
The safety training explores personal security, operational planning, security of accommodation and workplace, movements in conflict zones, ballistic threats, kidnaps and special risks, riots and public disorder.
The training, delivered by an IFJ media safety trainer, is part of an IFJ program in Mali which is entitled: ‘’Building a culture of safety and human rights for journalists in Mali”. The IFJ in collaboration with other partners will organize other training sessions in elections reporting, conflict sensitive reporting, and international humanitarian law.
For more information, please contact IFJ in Bamako: + 223 729 801 25 or the Africa Regional Office in Dakar (Senegal) : +221 33 867 95 86
IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 134 countries in the world
