By James Owich
Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC) has strongly condemned an attack on two local radio journalists allegedly by a group of boda-boda motorcycle drivers in Gulu City.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the media organization described the attack on Proscovia Achomo and Stephen Odong as a violation of press freedom and the rule of law.
Ms Achomo and Odong, both journalists working with Radio Pacis, a radio station founded by the Catholic Church were assaulted on Saturday afternoon after they reportedly attempted to film a group of rowdy boda-boda taxi riders who were hunting for a suspected motorcycle thieves on a mobile phone. Achomo sustained bruises all over her body, while Odong suffered a deep cut on his back.
No single suspect has been arrested in connection with the violence incident.
Numec says the attack on the pair by the taxi operators was a senseless act of violence against journalists. The journalists’ body has since demanded that police and boda-boda leaders should take concrete steps to prevent such incident in the future.
A report titled, “Uncertain Future for Media,” by the Human Rights Network for Journalists indicates that 30 assault cases against journalists were recorded in 2022. During the same period, 15 equipment belonging to journalists were also damaged during violent attacks on them by police, private citizens and civil servants.
