Harassment against the Journalists continues in Kismayo, the Second attack within a week Reported
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns in the strongest terms possible the continued harassment against the media workers in Kismayo, after another journalist was beaten at the gunpoint by the members of the Security forces of Interim Jubba Administration, the latest in a string of violence against the journalists and the media workers in Kismayo.
Around 3:00pm local time, three journalists among them Adan Mohamed Salad, the correspondent of the Somali National Television (SNTV), Jaamac Ahmed Ali of Somsat TV and Sabriye Hussein Barre of Universal Television were stopped on June 13, 2014 around 3:00pm local time, by the head of the security forces of the Interim Jubba Administration, Mohamoud Kuri, while driving near the police station in the town of Kismayo and Adan Mohamed Salad was hit with slapping and hand bunches by Commander Mohamoud, according to Adan who spoke with NUSOJ. The two other journalists who tried to stop him from beating the journalist were pointed with pistol and guns and immediately fled the area.
“I was driving near the police station, when the car carrying the commander honked me,” Adan Mohamed Salad said, “When I stopped my car and get down to meet the commander, he started slapping and bunching me until he got tired.”
When asked about the reasons behind his beating, he replied, “They were annoyed by our recent condemnation against the arrests of the two journalists this week.”
On Friday, around 3:30pm, again a separate incident, the journalists were again denied covering the opening of the Kismayo Stadium by the security forces, threatening that they don’t like seeing journalists.
The National Union of Somali Journalists called the alarming the situation “intolerable” and called for the Interim Jubba Administration to guarantee
“Harassment and intimidation with arbitrary arrests against the media workers constitute a serious human rights violations” Mohamed Ibrahim, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said, “We demand such actions to be ceased immediately and urge for full respect for the freedom of the press.”
On June 10, Mascud Abdullahi Adan of Dalsan Radio and freelances to Somali Channel TV, Abdirahman Sheik Aadan of Radio Kismayo and Khader Mohamoud Hared of Bar-Kulan Radio and Somali Channel TV were detained for hours after they were ordered via phone calls to come at the Central Police station in Kismayo, but, “arrested upon arrival.”.
The Journalists in Kismayo blame the current continued harassment and arbitrary detentions of being behind the Vice president of the Interim Jubba Administration, Suldan Abdulkadir Lugadhere after the journalists declined to report an eviction by the administration at the former government buildings from internally displaced people. Later the vice president reportedly threatened with serious consequences against the journalists including deportation and arrests among others, accusing the journalists of creating mess.
NUSOJ calls prompt actions to be taken to safeguard the free reporting of the journalists inline with their granted freedoms of information and expression.