Live News - A Survival Guide - International Federation of Journalists

Live News — A Survival Guide for JournalistsShampsa’s mental controlhelped to save her lifeHer abductors probablynoticed Shampsa Paybuck’scamera and notebook as shewalked along the road with heruncle and his family. Theyasked for her by name, andstarted to drag her off by herhair. When her family tried tointervene, they were pushed,shoved and hit with rifle butts.Shampsa Paybuckworked for the BBCWorld Service inSomalia. Threemonths after the BBCsent her on a safetytraining course, shewas abducted…Shampsa was taken to the water’s edge and made to kneelwith a plastic bag over her head. It was difficult to breatheand the bag was dirty and smelly. Her uncle and her sistertried to release her, but were beaten back. Other peoplenearby were frightened to get involved. Shampsa could hearher abductors — angry about a report she had written —shouting: “Let’s rape her.”Her training had covered this kind of situation. Courseinstructors had advised her to stay calm, and not to doanything to antagonise her captors. She tried to control herbreathing, while abductors argued whether to kill her or rapeher. The ordeal lasted an hour and a quarter during whichtime she doubted she would see her family again.Then someone said: “We’ve got to let her go.” As they tookthe bag from her head, she mentally replaced the hostilefaces she would see with the friendly faces of her courseinstructors, so she could cope with the shock if she saw arifle pointing at her and behave calmly.The abductors took all her equipment. However, they freedher, and she had survived.Later, Shampsa returned to the Centurion safety course andrelived her experience. She told the other journalists that hertraining had allowed her to think about how to react to thesituation and had helped to keep her alive.■Source: Centurion Risk Assessment Services (where Shampsa Paybuck did her training).57