Text of report by Somali pro-Puntland government Puntlandpost website on 11 AprilThe Information Ministry of Somalia plans to make a new contract with BBC and VOA Somali service to air their programmes through government Radio Mogadishu.
The Information Ministry of Transitional Federal Government of Somalia said to make new agreements with BBC and VOA stations on ways to air their programmes in southern Somalia. Al-Shabab Islamic Movement on Friday [9 April] issued a decree banning these two media outlets to operate in areas it controls and confiscated their equipment.
Somalia’s information minister Dahir Muhammud Gelle said to have left to Kenya to sign a contract for his ministry at a time government Radio Mogadishu has immediately launched VOA Somali service programme. The BBC and VOA have already entered contracts with Horn Afrika before its suspension and they were accused of airing anti-Al-Shabab programmes and the Muslim world.
The BBC has denied these allegations and vowed to continue serving in Somalia, said Head of BBC Africa.
Meanwhile, Hisb al-Islam has recently issued a decree banning all local radio stations from airing songs and music and threatened to punish any radio that disobeys the order.
(Source: Somali Puntlandpost website in Somali 11 Apr 10 via BBC Monitoring/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)