Day: April 11, 2022

Somalia’s first women-run radio and television outlet has opened in the capital, Mogadishu. United Nations-supported Bilan Media will produce content aimed at addressing issues affecting women and champion women’s rights in the conservative country.

The launch of Bilan Media in Mogadishu marks another leap in the effort by women to secure their place in Somalia’s patriarchal public arena.

Bilan means bright and clear in the Somali language, and the founders say they will stay true to its meaning by shedding light on some of the most consequential issues relating to and affecting women.

Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim is the editor at Bilan Media.

This project is designed to overcome many of the challenges facing the community, she says. It will focus on the challenges facing women. She says there are stories about women which will be revealed … because there are a lot of stories in the community and they don’t allow them to be published, so Bilan will reveal those stories.

By going all-female, Bilan hopes to break the barriers in Somalia’s conservative society where issues such as rape, sexual assault and women’s medical issues are often ignored.

Bilan says it does not seek to compete with the mainstream media but to chart its course in elevating the voices of women and influencing the agenda in the male-dominated society

Fathi Mohamed Ahmed is the deputy editor.

She says, “I can say that the reason for the formation of this media outlet for women is that in most parts of Mogadishu and Somalia as a whole, there are media outlets where both men and women work but are managed and owned by men. The circumstances of women’s needs are not discussed in detail. For example, violence against women is not discussed in depth.”

Ahmed says the owners of the station are not out to make a profit.

It is not about making money, it is about showcasing the productivity and power of women. So we want to improve our skills and present them at a place free from corruption and abuse by men.

Practitioners in the industry say the launch of a female-only media house is a bold step in a country where Islamist militant groups do not hesitate to harm or even kill journalists.

The situation is even worse for female journalists who have to battle other forms of challenges such as sexual harassment in newsrooms, cultural stereotypes, pressures from families as well as low pay, compared to male counterparts.

Hinda Jama is head of gender affairs at the Somali Journalists Syndicate.

The potential challenges to this radio station are many, she says. As the radio is only operated by women, women could face challenges from Somali culture. Also, she says, Somali society is not accustomed to women doing things alone or being journalists working alone and most people are not aware of it. Religion-wise, she adds, some clerics may consider women unworthy to speak in the media.

The answers will come soon as to whether the station can meet these challenges. Bilan Media is scheduled to go on the air April 25th.

Source: Voice of America

Russia’s Nordgold is shutting down its Taparko mine in Burkina Faso and calling force majeure, citing the deteriorating security situation in the West African country, according to a company statement seen on Monday.

Burkina Faso, like its neighbors Mali and Niger, is battling armed militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group who have carried out attacks killing thousands of people and displacing over 2 million others in the West Africa Sahel region.

The gold producer faces increasing threats against its operations and staff each day, Alexander Hagan Mensa, director-general of Nordgold subsidiary Société des Mines de Taparko, said in a statement dated April 9, seen by Reuters.

Nordgold’s head of corporate communications confirmed in an email that the statement was official.

Access to the site has become “quasi-impossible” in recent weeks, and the situation is putting the lives of on-site staff members in grave danger, according to the statement.

“The company finds itself in a situation of total incapacity to continue its activities,” Mensa wrote. “We are therefore advising you of the halt of our mining activities because of force majeure and for security reasons.”

He called on staff to remain calm and “follow the evacuation plan and management’s instructions.”

Nordgold declined to give further details on evacuation procedures or say whether employees’ contracts were being terminated.

The Taparko mine was Burkina Faso’s first industrial gold mine, launching in 2005, according to Nordgold’s website. It is in Namantenga province, approximately 200 kilometers (124.3 miles) northeast of Ouagadougou.

Taparko, which Nordgold acquired in 2008, produced 53,500 ounces of gold in the first nine months of 2021, according to the company’s latest report. Full-year production figures are not yet available.

The mine is located south of the market town of Dori, which has witnessed several attacks by armed militants in recent months. It is close to the tri-border area of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where militants linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State control swaths of territory.

The government of Burkina Faso, which has a 10% stake in Taparko, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the mine’s closure.

Sanctions affecting Nordgold

The forced shutdown is another blow for Nordgold as it navigates disruptions linked to Russian sanctions. It also operates the Bissa and Bouly mines in Burkina Faso, the Lefa mine in Guinea, four mines in Russia, and one in Kazakhstan.

Though not under sanctions, Nordgold, like other Russian miners, has faced disruptions due to the sanctions regime and counterparties self-sanctioning.

Alexey Mordashov, previously the controlling shareholder in Nordgold, was sanctioned by the European Union on February 28 because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

United Kingdom company filings show Mordashov transferred part of his more than 75% stake in Nordgold to Marina Aleksandrovna Mordashova on February 28, leaving her with a more than 50% stake. Mordashov resigned as director of Nordgold on March 1.

Four foreign directors stepped down from Nordgold’s board on March 7.

The Swiss gold refiner MKS PAMP, which used to refine gold from Nordgold’s mines in Burkina Faso and Guinea, told Reuters last month it had suspended its commercial activities with Russian counterparties.

“MKS suspended our cooperation, and we redirected gold ore from our African mines to refineries in other countries,” Nordgold said, declining to say which refineries the gold was now going to.

Source: Voice of America