May 12, 2024 | 9:00 am
Gulu, Uganda – The Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) is outraged and condemns in the strongest terms the physical assault of two journalists by boda boda riders in For-god Centre, Gulu City, on May 11th, 2024.
The two journalists, Proscovia Achomo, 26, and Stephen Odong, 32 — both attached to Radio Pacis— were intimidated and brutally beaten by a group of boda boda riders as they tried to cover the illegal act of mob justice being perpetrated by these motorcyclists. The pair are currently nursing severe injuries.
This brazen attack on the journalists is a clear violation of press freedom and the rule of law. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and police in Gulu must take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future.
“We are deeply disturbed by this senseless act of violence against our colleagues,” said Charles Akena, the Center Administrator of NUMEC. “Journalists play a vital role in informing the community and holding those in power accountable. But attacks against them undermine their freedom to work which goes against the very fabric of our democracy. We demand that the authorities take immediate action to investigate this incident and ensure the safety and security of all journalists.”
The heinous attack on the two journalists is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by the media in Uganda and the urgent need for action to protect their safety. Journalists continue to face harassment, intimidation and violence, which undermines their ability to report freely and independently.
We not only call upon the Gulu City Boda Boda Association to condemn this incident and take steps to prevent such occurrences in the future but also the police in Gulu City to take concrete steps to address these challenges and ensure that journalists can perform their duties without fear of violence or retribution.
Demands:
- Immediate investigation into the incident
- Perpetrators brought to justice
- Ensured the safety and security of all journalists
- Concrete steps to address challenges faced by the media in Uganda
Call to action:
- We urge the Gulu City Boda Boda Association to condemn this incident and take steps to prevent future occurrences
- We call on the Uganda Police to take concrete steps to protect press freedom and the safety of journalists
- We urge all stakeholders to join us in condemning this attack and standing in solidarity with journalists in Uganda
About Us
Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) is an independent, non-partisan media development organization founded by journalists and media professionals in Gulu, Northern Uganda. It’s a membership-based media resource conceived to revitalise the media terrain in northern Uganda to help catalyse peace, recovery, reconciliation, and development and promote media freedom and access to information in the region devastated by a two-decade armed conflict orchestrated by Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
For more information, please contact:
Charles Akena
Center Administrator,
Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC)
Tel: 0782508589; email: info@numec.org / charles.akena@gmail.com