MissiontoSomalia (UNSOM) organized the training which aims to create an atmosphere, where the media is equipped with skills for reporting on elections and its empowered with the necessary skills for covering 2016 elections process in the country feeling confident.

"The Somali media has no experience inelection,and are in need for capacity building to gain necessary knowledge on the election. It’s important for the Somali journalists to gain knowledge about the election process and ensure to report accurate news on the upcoming election.” Said NUSOJ Secretary General.

Farah Omar Nur , the Secretary of NUSOJtrainings, who is also a veteran journalist pointed out the that the main aim of the workshop is to educate the media staff and raise their awareness on reporting on the elections.

Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwa the Chairman of Somalia South-CentralNon StateActors (SOSCENSA) said in his opening remarks: The journalists are expected to be impartial when covering election campaigns in which many candidates are competing for a single position.

He added that the journalists are expected to be responsible and not to harm the general interest for the community. The journalist should be a good judge, and a journalist at the same time.

Deputy Information Minister, Cultureand Tourism, H.E AbdullahiOladRobleh, who officially opened the workshop said "We appreciate NUSOJ for building the capacity of journalists and we thank UNSOM for its support to the Somali journalists,

The training workshop will upgrade the skills of the media staff to enablethemtake the pressure of reporting the primary and final results of the election campaigns” Deputy MinsterOladsaid.

Said Abdisalam, a retired journalist, who covered the only free and fair election in Somalia’s history in 1967 shared his experience with the participants and encouraged the current journalists covering the election to be courageous.
The training will be concluded on Tuesday 30 of August 2016 and organizers believe based on thefirst dayoutcome that there will be a better understanding for covering Somalia election 2016.