Journalists Challenged on Promoting the African Agenda.

Journalists and media practitioners have been challenged on the critical role they play in the promotion of the African Agenda. This was during a media symposium that held at Fairway Hotel, Kampala under the theme; “The Role of the Media in the Promotion of the African Agenda on Peace and Security” ahead of the African Liberation Day that will be held on the 25 May, 2023 at Kololo Independence Grounds.

The Guest of Honour, Her Excellence Etsegenet Bezabih Yimenu, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia to Uganda in her remarks underscored the role the media played during the Civil War in Ethiopia. She said that false information about the war was spread by foreign media which was countered through a special digital media campaign.

H.E Etsegenet added that the media is an essential soft power that needs to be embraced since it has the potential to be both constructive and destructive.

The Ambassador of South Sudan to Uganda, Simon Juach Deng said their is need for African Media to tell the African story from a factual and informed point of view without relying on secondary data and Western media.

Ambassador Salek Sghair Raghi, the Sahrawai Republic Ambassador to Uganda called upon the media to interest itself and write more about the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic which is fighting the expansionist policy and occupation by Morroco.

While addressing the symposium, Brigadier General Felix Kulayigye, the Defence Spokesperson underscored the importance of the media in the regional integration on the African Continent. “It is our role as people in the fourth estate to keep pushing the a gander of a bigger entity of Africa Free Trade Area,” said Brig Gen Kulayigye.

According to the Principal Commercial Officer of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Mrs. Elizabeth Ritah Auma Kiguli who made a presentation on the role of peace and security in promoting continental trade for economic integration: the call for collaboration and accelerated of the AfCFTA; AfCFTA is expected to be a key engine of economic growth, industrialization and sustainable development in Africa.

Earlier on, the High Commissioner of Tanzania to Uganda, His Excellence Dr. Aziz Mlima urged African youth and intellectuals to take the lead in the sensitization and mobilization of the total liberation for economic and social independence of the Continent. He was speaking at the Inter-University Symposium under the theme: The Legacy of Pan Africanism in contemporary African Integration Agenda: Re-thinking Pan African Intellectual Activism.

Dr. Mlima called for serious investment in the education sector and academic institutions to enable Africa produce its our technology, innovation and research and production of Patents.

Other facilitators at the symposium included; Dr. Mugabi Rubahamya, Amanda Magambo, the Coordinator for Regional Peace and Security (Ministry of Internal Affairs).