The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) today vehemently condemned the
brutal murder of Prime Radio anchorman, Dickson Ssentongo, who was
severely beaten by unknown assailants and abandoned to die in a cassava
plantation in Mukono District some 35 km from the capital Kampala on Monday, 13
September, 2010.
"We are
appalled by this vicious killing coming days only after we lost another Ugandan
colleague to violence," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa
Office. "The killing of Dickson Ssentongo signals a serious deterioration
of the security of journalists and the Ugandan Government must reassure
journalists and the public in general that the perpetrators of this heinous crime
will be apprehended and brought to justice very quickly".
According to
information received from the Ugandan Journalists Union (UJU), an IFJ
affiliate, Dickson Ssentongo was ambushed while on his way to work at Prime
Radio, where he read the 7am news bulletin in Luganda. He was severely beaten and left in a pool of
blood. He later died at the Mulago Hospital where he had been rushed for
treatment. "Ssentongo was specifically targeted for murder, as all his
personal possessions including mobile phones were untouched by the
assailants," said the UJU in a statement.
The IFJ calls
on the Ugandan Government to leave no stone unturned in investigating this
matter and ensuring that the culprits are brought to justice.
"Unpunished
crimes breed impunity and impunity signifies a disregard for good governance
and the rule of law," added Baglo.
The IFJ also
called on civil society organisations in Ugandan to mobilise and denounce
violence against journalists by enemies of democracy and a progressive society.
For more information contact the IFJ at +221 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide
