By: Maylun Ali
Garowe (RBC) The authorities in Somalia’s northern region of Puntland have ordered to shut down three radio stations in its region, a decree from the Puntland ministry of information said on Wednesday.
The three local radios namely Radio Daljir, Radio One Nation and Radio Voice of Peace were ordered to close down their offices and stop airing programmes around 12:00 pm (local time) alleging that these radios violated the region’s internal media regulation and also threatened the security.
The decree letter which was signed by the Puntland minister of Information, Mohamud Aideed Dirir, and its subject line “Notice” has ordered the police commissioners in Puntland to immediately execute the decision of the closure.
The decree also said that the administrative of the three stations failed to comply a new rule from the ministry of Puntland which was issued on March 2013 that banned from local radios not to reproduce or rely any programe from three other radios including Radio Ergo, a Nairobi based humanitarian radio supported by the United Nations and Radio Bar-Kulan, which is Somali Public Radio based in Nairobi and Mogadishu .
Puntland information minister, Mohamud Aidid Dirir.
There were no immediate comment from the management of the three banned radios in Puntland.
However sources told Raxanreeb Online that the closure decision against the radios came during a meeting on Monday by the Puntland cabinet of minister where president Abdirahman Farole ordered to close down any radio station that is not suit with his administration interests.
Both the human rights groups and press freedom activists had been much concerned in what they described as “downgrading level” of the Press Freedom in the semi-autonomous regions controlled by the Puntland administration.
In 2012 the Puntland authorities shut down two radio stations in Bosasso while dozens of journalists left the region for the growing intimidation and harassment from the Puntland security officials.
RBC Radio
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
