Arusha, Tanzania —The Media Council of Somalia (MCS) made a historic debut at the 2nd Pan-African Media Councils Summit, held in Arusha, Tanzania, marking a significant milestone in Somalia’s media development journey.
For the first time, Somalia gained observer status at the influential gathering of continental media regulators and councils. The summit brought together dozens of media oversight bodies, press freedom advocates, and policymakers from across Africa to discuss the future of journalism, media regulation, and professional standards on the continent.
During the summit, the MCS formally initiated the process of joining the World Press Council (WPC) and the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA)—two leading global and regional platforms that support journalistic excellence, independence, and ethics.
The MCS’s participation in Arusha underscores Somalia’s ongoing reforms to professionalize journalism, uphold press freedom, and align national media regulation with international standards.
It also presents new opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy for Somali journalists facing challenges such as insecurity, censorship, and limited institutional support.
Delegates at the summit welcomed Somalia’s involvement, citing it as an encouraging sign of democratic resilience and regional media solidarity.
The Arusha summit focused on key themes including ethical journalism, countering disinformation, protecting journalists’ rights, and harmonizing regulatory frameworks across Africa.
With this debut, the Media Council of Somalia is poised to play a more active role in continental and global media development conversations.