The actual purpose of Vikis, backed by Finnish Journalist Union, is to divide, destabilise and dissolve local media and their lasting freedom so as to gain foothold in Somalia to spend Finland taxpayer money using Somali government apparatus and its mouthpieces. The show of shame going on in Somalia in the name of media development calls for the condemnation of all well meaning journalists. Lately Somali media comprehended a Finnish setup called Vikis directed by Finnish journalist Juha Rekola financed by Finnish foreign Ministry propelled scheme to bolster government machinery and to undermine Somalia’s imperilled independent media.
While it is inconceivable and ridiculous in a democracy that Finland NGO purporting to be supporting media freedom and journalist rights is out to sponsor intimidators of media freedom, facilitate the abuse of journalist rights and destruction of collective union of journalists, Somali media are not sitting but are slowly coming out to condemn this Finnish perfidy.

More shameful are the tactics employed by the sheepish Finnish Vikes to contract mercenaries and puppets in their desperation for gaining a foothold and power. The Finnish leading Vikes should hide his face in shame for not rendering service to needy Somali journalists and supporting oppressors of journalists.

The Finnish project is to tie the Independent media fraternity of Somalia to the whims and caprices of the Ministry of Information, who will in turn force their subjugation.  

Somali journalists have learned their true friends and we must resist impunity by those in power and I call on our colleagues to be vigilant and not allow such a misguided and reckless initiatives by Vikes and its mercenaries to plunge us into confusion.

Instead, we should rise in unison and with common accord to resist the empowerment of the oppressor and the use of mercenaries by those who take donor money in order to destroy the media freedom we have been fighting for and many of colleagues have lost their lives. These are difficult moments indeed but we must rise to the challenge in the hope that in the end, good shall triumph over evil from Finland.

It shows clearly that Vikes has no intention to foster media development in our country and freedom of expression, but to turn us into a battlefield. Furthermore their attitude is to subjugate our collective interests as if Finland will be the speaker of Somali journalists.

Anyone advocating for the sustenance of retrogressive and anti Somali journalists activities like Vikes must be regarded and treated as an enemy of the Somali media and the journalists at large.

It is clear that their intentions are not just to bankroll the Ministry and puppets but also to inflict deeper hardships on our journalists.

By any standards, what the Vikes in cahoots with Union of Journalist of Finland with donor money from their Ministry of Foreign Affairs are just barbaric, irresponsible. We must take steps to save our journalism profession from the aggressors like Vikes

A democrat should behave differently from a despot. A repressor is not fit enough for any support from a democrat in any decent country.

We must unleash series of actions to protect the integrity of not just Somali journalists and journalism profession, but that of the generality of Somali people as honored people who are not susceptible for all sorts of manipulations and maneuvers.

We must invoke our collective slogan of "An Injury to One Is an Injury to All”.

I am therefore putting every journalist in the National Union of Somali Journalists on notice by directing all our media activities to commence mobilization towards a solidarity action by the entire media community against this barbaric act by the Finnish Vikes and their accomplices.

Ahmed Mohamed Ali
Broadcast Journalist
Galkaio, Somalia