Somalia detains journalist, director after TV debate.

Saturday, October 3, 2015– Somalia’s security forces have arrested a journalist and the director of a privately owned Somali television after hosting a debate which discussed about a meddling by neighbouring countries in Somalia’s internal affairs.

Awil Dahir Salad, a producer of the London-based Universal TV who hosted the debate in which Somali parliamentarians criticized the government’s rule and its ‘leniency’ towards ‘intrusive’ politics by neighbouring countries and Abdullahi Hersi, the television’s bureau director were arrested on Friday after being summoned to the intelligence agency headquarters.

During the debate, two Somali legislators have alleged that neighbouring countries notably Ethiopia dominates Somali politics and continues to divide Somalia along clan and regional state lines.

Journalists’ watchdogs accused the government of violating freedom of speech by arresting the journalists, an action which they said constitutes a flagrant violation of freedom of information.

Somali officials declined comment on the journalists arrest, however, local journalists said that journalists are being held in an underground prison run by the intelligence service in Mogadishu.

Besides Syria, Somalia is one of the most dangerous places media workers operate. Dozens of journalists have been killed in the past few years, forcing many to flee the horn of Africa nation where political parties vying for Somali politics, government and militants are often blamed for journalists’ deaths.

Very few perpetrators have been so far been charged with the cold-blood murders which sent shockwaves across media industry.