YLE postpones airing of Haavisto documentary

Film details tensions in Somali peace mediation efforts

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The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) has postponed the broadcast of a documentary film on the Somali peace process.
      The main figures in the film are Somali-born entrepreneur Abdullah Farah, who lives in Finland, and Antti Pentikäinen, executive director of Finnchurchaid, the foreign aid service of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, and their efforts to promote peace in Somalia.
     
In the documentary Pekka Haavisto (Green), who served as Finish Foreign Minister’s special envoy to Africa, gets pushed to the sidelines in the talks. He reportedly was upset by the fact that he was not included in one of the sessions, leading to tensions between Pentikäinen and Haavisto.
      Later in the film Farah says that Haavisto has not had time for the Somali peace process since he announced his candidacy for president in the spring of 2011.
     
The documentary, by Kati Juurus, a journalist at the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), was screened on Wednesday at the Docpoint documentary film festival.
      It was originally scheduled to be aired on YLE on Monday, February 6th, the day after the presidential election.
      YLE did not want to air the film before the elections because of the central role of one of the candidates. The further postponement came because YLE needed time for current affairs programming in the aftermath of the presidential election.
     
Meanwhile, Finnchurchaid’s Pentikäinen says that there are no problems between him and Pekka Haavisto.
      “This is normal in peace mediation work. We cleared things up immediately, and cooperation continued. The motto is that if no tensions emerge, then you’re not actually trying”, He said.
      Haavisto did not want to comment on the matter on Thursday evening.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Africa envoy, MP Pekka Haavisto, does not expect quick peace in Somalia (5.2.2009)
  MP Pekka Haavisto named Foreign Minister´s Africa envoy (16.1.2009)
  Finnish MP Pekka Haavisto to hold talks with warring sides in Somalia conflict (18.11.2008)

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