The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Launches the Renovation of the Radio Muqdisho Archive

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mr. Abdulfataax Qaasim Maxamuud, today launched the renovation and repair of the Radio Muqdisho archive, to accelerate the preservation and modernization of Somalia's historical audio heritage.

The launch was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry, the Director General of the Ministry, the Director of Radio Muqdisho, and other officials, who inspected various sections of the archive and the repaired machines that will enhance the historical recordings.

The Director of Radio Muqdisho, the Voice of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mr. C/Fataax Daahir Jayte, who spoke at the event, first reported on the stages of the renovation and modernization of the extensive Radio Muqdisho archive, expressing hope that this would mark the beginning of the archive receiving the largest modernization, as the Ministry's leadership is committed to converting the archive to a digital format.

The Minister stated that this renovation and repair is an important precursor to a broader effort by the Ministry to modernize the Radio Muqdisho archive, in order to preserve and save thousands of tapes containing the history, culture, and memories of the Somali nation.

The Minister also praised the staff of Radio Muqdisho and the archive personnel, encouraging them to double their efforts in accelerating the modernization of the archive recordings, so that future generations can benefit from this national heritage.

The Minister expressed gratitude to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the JFIT Program of the Government of Japan for supporting the Memory of the World Program, the assessment report of the Radio Muqdisho archive, and the renovation of the machines and equipment of the archive.

The Minister noted that the repaired machines are a good starting point, but they are not yet sufficient for the extensive historical recordings in the archive and their preservation, which requires a broad program, and that the Somali community, UNESCO, and other global partners need to play a role in the campaign the Ministry is conducting to facilitate access to archive data and expedite the modernization of long-stored recordings that are at risk of loss and destruction.

The Radio Muqdisho archive is the largest repository of Somalia's history since 1951, and the Ministry is undertaking efforts to accelerate the modernization of the recordings.