Mahad Omar Diriye

Somalia, CAHR, Autumn 2016

My Name is Mahad Omar Diriye. I was born in Kurtunwarey which is one of the most prosperous and most productive cities in Somalia at the time of stability. Unfortunately, I am now 27 years old and I haven't been lucky to see an effective government in Somalia since there has been a civil war in my country for the past 27 years. This made me face the worst challenges in life; I haven't been able to attend or even see an effective education system in place during my life. These and other factors have motivated me to become one of the most famous journalists in Somalia and in the neighbouring countries.

In my childhood I liked to listen to and follow news on BBC Somalia back home. In the afternoons people - especially elderly people - would usually listen to news in tea rooms and under the trees, and since I was young I would usually jump on a tree so that older people would not chase me away, as it was hard to find other places to listen to news from. I enjoyed the sounds and the presentations of the journalists I listened to, and I always wanted to join the profession. After a long wait I realized my dreams when I turned 16. In 2005 I started working for HornAfrik which was the most popular radio station in Somalia at that time.

Somalia has been one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work for the past 25 years, and this was especially the case in 2007 when the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) militants started hunting down journalists accusing them of supporting the opposition. These and other factors led to killings, torture and detention of many journalists. Thus many journalists had to flee to neighbouring countries to seek refuge. These killings came closer to me day by day, and the worst incident happened when my own trainer was gunned down. When he was in hospital laying on the bed and bleeding, he held my hand he said "you might be the next to follow me, but I urge you that fear should not make you stop telling the truth." After these words came two different realisations: on the one hand his words prompted me to fear, and on the other they gave me more energy to continue with my job.

As a journalist reporting on cases of human rights abuses and politics, I created more enemies for myself and this was especially so because the area I was reporting from was among the most hostile places in Somalia. was threatened via text messages or sometimes even direct calls. In 2010 I was captured by Alshabaab militias who held me for four days accusing me of being a "spy" for the government and for photographing their military camps. But the reality is I was a simply doing my job as a freelancer. After continuous torture I was released by elders who had negotiated my release. I was released on three conditions: I had to stop practicing journalism; not to leave the city; and not to question why I was captured and not to disclose any information regarding my arrest or questions asked. Since I had no option I was forced to accept these conditions. This forced me to flee from Kismayo without informing Alshabaab and I fled to Kenya where I sought asylum. However my life as a refugee and my safety were both challenging.

In 2012, after two years of refugee life, I had not only faced challenges but being exiled in Kenya had also given me a chance to study English. I also had the opportunity to attend some courses that enhanced my career in journalism thus paving the way for me to work with some local and international organizations such as Somalia Report, IRIN news agency and as a freelancer for Reuters.

As a refugee journalist, as part of enhancing my capacity and knowledge, I have studied a diploma in social work and community development. Since many Somali journalists have fled from Somalia and ended up in neighbouring countries including Kenya, I became one of the founders of the Somali Exiled Journalists Network Association (SEJNAS), an organization that protects and supports disadvantaged Somali journalists fleeing their country and who have become refugees in East Africa.

I am very glad finally to be at CAHR to further enhance my knowledge by learning from the different distinguished lectures, staff and other fellows from around the globe, all of whom have learned from the life time experiences of the different challenges they have faced as a result of their human rights work. Lastly, history has been made in my life during my stay in York because it's the first time in my life that I have peacefully slept, walked or even taken the bus without having to scan my surroundings.