Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) has condemned the arrest and detention of 25 journalists by the authorities in Somaliland and called for their immediate release.
EAJA President Dr. Muheldin Ahmed Idris described the move as “cruel and uncalled for assault on the media by security guards”.
Presidential guards on Sunday, 15 January 2012, beat up journalists from HornCable TV, Jamhuuriya Newspaper, Waaheen Newspaper, Geeska Afrika newspaper, Bulsho TV and Sahan newspaper who were holding a peaceful protest in front of Somaliland presidential palace.
The guards immediately arrested 8 journalists from the HornCable TV. These included Ms. Nimco Sabriye, Mr. Hamsa Ali Bulbul, Mr. Mohamed Gurashe, Mr. Abdirahman Sheik Yunes, Mr. Ayan Diriye, Ms. Nimo’ Diriye, Ms. Hodan Ali Ajabi, Ms. Safiya Nuh Sheikh.
Police later on Sunday hunted down other journalists who took part in the protest and arrested journalists from Jamhuuriya newspaper, Waaheen newspaper, Geeska Africa newspaper, Bulsho TV and Sahan newspaper. 6 female journalists were being detained at Hargeisa central police station.
The HornCable TV proprietor, Farhan Haji Ali Ahmed, was yesterday summoned by Somaliland Presidency for questioning. Somaliland Minister of Interior, Mohamed Dur Arale announced that the operating license of HornCable TV had been revoked declaring that any further operations in Somaliland would be considered “illegal” from yesterday.
Mohamed Omar Sheik, reporter of Saxafi newspaper, Ali Ismail Aare, reporter of Waheen newspaper and Yusuf Abdi Ali, reporter of RAAD TV were detained in Borame district of Awdal region while Abdqani Hassan Farah, reporter of Universal TV was detained in Las Anod District of Sool Region.
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Secretary General, Omar Faruk Osman, expressed outrage over the move and demanded that the journalists be released immediately and the ban on HornCable TV be lifted without further delay.
“To round up and detain journalists in the course of their duty is a flagrant violation of media freedom and freedom of expression” said Osman.
The EAJA president also supported calls by its affiliate, NUSOJ, for the lifting the ban on the operations of the HornCable TV.
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