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Monday, July 09, 2007

Somali journalist concerned over army searches


Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
NEWS
9 July 2007
Posted to the web 9 July 2007

By Shabelle News Room
Mogadishu

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is concerned at the searches that the army of the transitional federal government is conducting at the headquarters of Shabelle Radio in Mogadishu.

The force of the Transitional Federal Government searched the studio and the offices of the Media Network four times.

The soldiers forcefully entered the studio while the radio was on air and ordered presenter Abdinur Mohammed Kadie and the technician to stop airing, which Shabelle fulfilled this order briefly. The soldiers pointed guns to the journalists in the newsroom and threatened some
of them to death if they do not abide their orders.

The troops, who have been conducting house-to-house search in the centre of the city, told the management of the Radio that they are trying with full knowledge to locate or discover weapons at Shabelle Radio, but they found no weapons.

"We condemn this move and recognise it as an act to expose disturbance to the service that Shabelle is doing for the public" said Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General, National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). "We ask the transitional government to end these planned disruptions and threats against Shabelle Media Network and its staff".
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200707090543.html

(Source:Zacharias Liangas/Cumbre DX)