Accra, Nov. 9, GNA – Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has urged intensified pressure on governments across the world to make them more committed to the protection and safety of journalists.
He expressed concern about the high rate of attacks and killing of journalists worldwide, emphasising that governments must be more committed to curbing the impunity by arresting and prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes.
Mr Dwumfour made the call in a panel discussion at a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to commemorate this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
The panel discussion was under the joint auspices of the Federation of African Journalists(FAJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on the topic: “Ensuring the Safety and Protection of Journalists by Addressing Impunity: A Responsibility for the World”.
The commemoration of this year’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was jointly organised by UNESCO and the African Union (AU) on the theme: “Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies”.
The GJA President was accompanied by the General Secretary, Mr Edmund Kofi Yeboah, to the commemorative event, which included the launch of the “Virtual Scroll” – a screen projection of the casualty profile of 1653 journalists killed worldwide between 1993 and 2023.
The victims include Ghanaian investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, who was killed in 2019 by assailants, yet to be identified six years on.
Describing the global casualty figure as very alarming, Mr Dwumfour said there was the need to take decisive measures to end the killings.
“At the international level, Mr Dwumfour called for the adoption of severe sanctions against states or governments that perpetrated harm against journalists.
“Leaders of such states or governments must be held personally liable for such crimes against journalists,” he said.
He also pushed for public education about the critical role of the media and journalists in national development, and the importance of avoiding harming them.
“This will encourage the public to ensure the protection and safety of journalists,” he added.
GNA