GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION COORDINATION MEETING
SPEECH BY THE HONOURABLE DAUD AWEIS JAMA, MINISTER OF INFORMATION, CULTURE AND TOURISM IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF SOMALIA ADDRESSING MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN MOGADISHU ON WEDNESDAY, 18TH JANUARY 2023
1. United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia Madam Anita Kiki Gbeho, your Excellencies ambassadors, representatives of esteemed international governmental and non-governmental organizations, donors, partners and all members of the diplomatic corps, GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
2. It is my great honour to stand before you this morning as we highlight and take stock of the role of government communications in the war against terror and in fostering development in the Federal Government of Somalia.
3. At the turn of the new year and in his first address to the nation in 2023, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud outlined his government’s priorities for the year, with the primary objective remaining the total liberation of the country from the Al Shabaab menace.
4. Other key priority areas included completing the process of seeking debt relief and ushering in a new era of economic recovery, completing the draft constitution, equipping and improving the standards of our national forces which are critical to stabilizing the country, expanding the education sector, ensuring political stability, completing the formation of the remaining crucial national institutions including independent commissions, upholding the rule of law and ensuring respect for human rights.
5. All departments within the Federal Government of Somalia will be prioritizing these key areas with the President issuing a deadline of 31st December this year for their successful implementation and completion.
6. Ladies and gentlemen, with such lofty goals set by the President, the role of government communications and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism cannot be understated. The Ministry has remained front and centre in creating public awareness of government policy, actions and affairs, being the bridge between citizens and the government, as well as aiding the functions of the government departments and leaders.
7. In the quest to eliminate terrorism, the Federal Government of Somalia applies a three-pronged strategy. One is the military offensive, the second one is curbing illicit financial flows that fund the terrorists and the third is the ideological strategy in which the media plays a crucial role.
8. Today, the ideological war being waged against the hearts and minds of the people by terrorists is just as lethal as the wars on the battlefields. Through misinformation and disinformation, terrorists spread propaganda that impedes the war on terror. They use religious propaganda to justify the plunder, looting and killing of innocent Somali citizens.
9. It is out of this whole-government approach in the war against terror that the Federal Government of Somalia Government Communication Office – GCO – was formed in late 2022. The GCO brings together Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, Ministry of Internal Security, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Religious Affairs, FRC, Ministry of Women Affairs and Human Rights, Banadir Regional Administration, and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, which has the leadership and the coordination role. The main aim of this crucial office is to unify, strengthen and align the Federal Government of Somalia’s communications strategies in the anti-Al Shabaab war, raise awareness and combat extremist propaganda in Somalia. The GCO is the new nerve centre for managing communications and media coverage regarding the war on terror. This authority and importance of the GCO were highlighted on the 15th of this month when President Mohamud chaired a ministerial committee meeting on the modalities of enhancing communication strategies in the ongoing war against Al Shabaab.
10. Through its activities, the GCO seeks to amplify the successes of the government’s anti-terror war while challenging extremist ideologies and diminishing Al Shabaab’s influence among citizens.
11. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Government Communication Office has its work cut out for it. Its duties in the coming year will include the creation of a comprehensive communications and media plan, bettering crisis communications, strengthening of social media presence and communications with the private sector, community awareness campaigns and lastly, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of projects within its scope of work.
12. Some of the key stakeholders and opinion leaders that the GCO will be engaging in its quest to boost public awareness of government functions include Islamic scholars, Somalia’s business community, defectors and reformed members of the Al Shabaab, the youth and their parents.
13. Dear members of the diplomatic corps, apart from the counter-terrorism functions, the GCO will also not only make the public aware of the activities of each government institution, but it will also collect citizens’ feedback on services rendered. This feedback will be crucial for monitoring and evaluating government programs.
14. The GCO will also serve as a bridge to bring reconciliation and political stability in the country.
15. Over the years, Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has played a key role in the fight against terrorism through its implementation of the Action Plan on Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Program. Under this program, the ministry coordinates national and Federal Member States levels, while providing operational support in the form of training and technical assistance. The Ministry has also been the liaison point for various national and regional counter-terrorism initiatives and public awareness.
16. The ministry has also – through its National Strategy for Public Awareness – launched public awareness campaigns to help citizens recover from decades of extremism, civil wars, divisions and lack of a fully-functioning government, and usher in a new era of trust in Somalia’s governance systems, reconciliation and cohesion. Through the Open Theater of the Ministry of Information Initiative – the ministry has also bridged the gap between the country’s leaders and the citizens and promoted engagement in counterterrorism, reconciliation and other developmental initiatives.
17. These initiatives have proven the centrality of effective government communications not only in the war against violent extremism but in promoting sustainable growth and development. It is our sincere hope that the Government Communication Office will amplify these efforts as our country seeks to get on the path to recovery and development and in future, take our rightful place in the international arena.
18. Ladies and gentlemen, they say that “if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together’. We urge the international community to work with us in operationalizing this Government Communication Office as we all work tirelessly together to defeat terrorism in Somalia.
19. I wish to thank you, our international partners, for your overwhelming, unwavering support for the Federal Government of Somalia and its people. We are truly grateful as a nation and look forward to the dawn of a new era of even deeper bilateral and multi-lateral relations, all aimed at birthing a brighter and more prosperous future for the people of Somalia. A future in which Al Shabaab is defeated and the citizens enjoy peace, stability and sustainable development.
20. I wish us all success in this coming year and look forward to fruitful deliberations and cooperation.
