NUSOJ blames Transitional Government for Brutal Suppression Independent Journalism following “illegal” detention of 2 senior journalists
MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 29, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns, in the strongest terms possible, the illegal detention of two journalists from Shabelle Media Network by the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG).
The two journalists, Abdi Mohamed Ismail, news editor of Radio Shabelle and Abdirashid Omar Qase, director of the radio were arrested on Sunday 27 March 2011, by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in the capital Mogadishu.
The reason behind their detention was not stated officially, but there was a letter from the National Security Agency dated on 24th March, demanding the director and news editor to come for questions related to news report that Shabelle aired on 22nd March that was brought to the headquarters of the Network.
Shabelle broadcasted news about fighting in Mogadishu and that Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed failed to visit bases captured from Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu due to intense fighting on 22nd march 2011.
“This shows the level of intolerance from the transitional federal government for independent and factual news reporting. We protest the arrest and detention of Abdirashid Omar and Abdi Mohamed Ismail, which shows how the transitional government security forces have the muscle to crackdown independent journalism,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.
NUSOJ demands from the Transitional Federal Government the mediate release of the two journalists without any condition and calls on the TFG to respect the free speech and the independent media.
Shabelle Media Network won RSF Press freedom Award in 2010. Radio Shabelle is the most exposed to the violence in the country. Five of its journalists including a director and acting director were assassinated in Somalia for the last three years.
SOURCE
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
