Press Freedom is a paramount importance to all human being, so do the Somalis who has the worst case of press freedom in the world.

A group of Somali journalists living in South Africa as refugee journalists had on Friday night marked the fifth anniversary of the establishment of Somali Journalists Association of South Africa (SOJASA), a registered NPO in South Africa.

The event drew more than five hundred people from the Somali expats in South Africa including influential community leaders and business heavyweights who gave key speeches.

Besides the fifth anniversary celebration, the ceremony was meant to highlight the blight of Journalists in Somalia and Press Freedom in the Horn of Africa’s regions where its reported that it has produces more than half of all refugee journalists in the world according to a recent Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) report.

During the ceremony a documentary film about the role of the media in the society and the organization’s achievements was screened to the curios participants. A book about the organization was also distributed in the ceremony.

People were entertained till mid night by a group of Somali artists including the iconic Mama Habibo of the Ex Heegan Somali National Police Band, among the things they presented was a short play about the current situations in Somalia and popular songs.

The Vice Chairman of Somalia Basketball Association, also member of Somali Olympic Committee Mr. Mohamed Haji was honored to give out medal prizes and silver cup to the winning team of mini soccer tournament organized by SOJASA to mark the fifth anniversary. In a brief statement Mr. Haji demanded justice for those who behind the killing of Somali sport officials in the April suicide bombing targeted government ceremony in the national Theatre of Mogadishu.

SOJASA received a certificate of achievement from the Chairman of Somali Community Board of Western Cape Mr. Abdi Omar Ahmed, also called Abdi Jiidoow.

Participants credited the ceremony as the most successful events ever held in Cape Town by the Somali Diaspora.

Mohamed Muse Noor, the Chairman of SOJASA told the gathering to respect the journalists and defend them instead of attacking them, he said that nobody has the license to kill as he condemned the spate of killing of journalists in Somalia in the recent years.

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