BELEDWEYN (RBC) The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the shutdown of radio Station in the central Somalia town of Beletwein on Wednesday morning by AMISOM Djiboutian contingent in the town of Beletwein, confiscated radio equipment and arrested the radio director and the editor.
Wednesday morning around 8:30am a convoy of AMISOM Djiboutian contingent came at the premises of the Mustaqbal – Voice of Central Somalia (Codka Bartamaha), arrested its director, Osman Abdullahi Areys and its editor, Siraji Omar Abdi, letting the radio station completely out of air. Mustaqbal Media Inc. has offices in Mogadishu and Beletwein.
“This morning around 8:30, when the radio went on air, an AMISOM convoy of Djiboutian army came to the office, ordered the shutdown of the radio station, arrested the editor and the director without pre-warnings.” Aweys Haji Nur, the Director of Mustaqbal Radio in Mogadishu said, “We believe that the shutdown follows a new report aired by the radio station on Tuesday night over attack on CeelGaal by
the Shabab.”
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is appalled by the attack on the radio station, the seizure of the equipment and the arrest of its editor and director and calls for unconditional release of the radio station’s staff and return of the equipment.
“It is unfortunate incident to the Somali media practitioners and condemn on the attack of the radio station in the strongest terms possible and call for their unconditional release and return of the radio equipment.” Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “It is an absolute attack on the free flow of information as guaranteed by the constitution.
This is the first the AMISOM troops close a radio station in Somalia.
In a separate incident, on 29 April, 2013, a man armed with a machete wounded journalist in the town of Beletwein at a coffee shop, wounding the neck. The journalist was identified as Abdullahi Salaad Aka Abdullahi Mohamed Jimale, who works for Ergo Radio based in Nairobi. The reason behind the attack is unclear and the police in Beletwein arrested the man who wounded the journalist.
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