Puntland security forces have attacked separately journalists covering the aftermath of a recent heavy rains in the town of Bossaso, the regional headquarters of Bari region in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland on Wednesday afternoon.
Members of military-police forces and the Puntland Intelligence Service (PIS) attacked six journalists who were covering a Kat (a stimulant leaf that many Somalis chew) market on Wednesday afternoon, 26 May 2010. The mayor of Bossaso, Mohamoud Farah Beeldaaje said that he will “move the Kat market out of the town” in a media conference at the municipality offices in Bossaso, after stench mud rammed the market, following recent heavy rainfalls. All the journalists were staying in the market when they were attacked.
The journalists Ahmed Mose Ali (Universal TV correspondent), Abdalle Ahmed Moumin (Raxanreeb website reporter), Jama Ahmed Ali (Radio Voice of Peace Reporter) and Ayuub Abdirahman Mohamed (Horseed Media reporter) were briefly detained by the Puntland military police known as “Darawish” at the Central Police Command in Bosaso, according to Ahmed Mose Ali.
“They did not beat us, but we were intimidated with gunpoint, detaining us for at least two hours, although we were later released with the help of some Puntland officials who came to us.” said Ahmed Mose Ali, a correspondent for Universal Television.
Puntland officials including the security minister Gen. Yusuf Ahmed, Sea and Ports Minister Sa’id Mohamed Rageh and the mayor of Bossaso, Mohamoud Farah who visited the journalists at the detention center expressed dismay for what happened and ordered the arrest of the soldiers behind the detention of the journalists, according to Ahmed Mose Ali.
“I am only worried about my colleague Abdulkadir Harun who was seriously tortured by the PIS” Ali added.
Meanwhile Abdulkadir Harun Abdullahi, a cameraman for ETN Television and Osman Saalah Ismail, a correspondent for recently looted Somaliweyn radio based in Mogadishu, were briefly detained by the Puntland Security services (PIS) and seriously beat them. The PIS accused the journalists for taking them secret video footages, a claim which could not be independently verified.
Infuriated by the cameras, the security agents asked the journalists to hand over the cameras and later ordered to follow to the PIS office in Bossaso for questioning. They were held for an hour and half, where they were later seriously beaten.
Abdulkadir Harun suffered physical wounds at the face, kidneys and left leg and was rushed to Bosasso Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment, although he was later transferred to his home in Bosaso, where he is now recovering.
“First, they asked us to hand over the cameras.” said Abdulkadir Harun Abdullahi, ETN television cameraman who suffered wounds from the face, kidneys and left leg said in a telephone interview “The PIS later told us that they needed ourselves. Beat us seriously.” He added
“I and my colleague Osman were thrown back to the market. I was unable to walk and my face is swollen because of the hard hit.” Abdulkadir said during the phone interview, yelling with pain.
The journalists in Somalia face challenges all sorts of violations from different forces vying for the control of the country and regional administrations.
The Insurgent group, Hisbul Islam on Tuesday around 2:00pm arrested in Afgoye town, 30km south of the capital Mogadishu, three broadcast journalists who were working for Mogadishu based radio stations, the latest in a series of violations against the press.
Militias loyal to Hisbul Islam detained Sheekh Adow Amiin, a correspondent for Simba Radio, Ahmed Yusuf Idaajaa, a correspondent for Radio Holy Quran (IQK) and Mohamed Hussein Osman, a correspondent for Radio Xurma during their assigned daily journalistic tasks respectively. The journalists were released on Wednesday.
Last week, The Shabab Insurgent group attacked on Radio Somaliweyn’s premises in Mogadishu’s Boondheere neighborhood on Friday morning 21 May, 2010, around 9:00am and took all the equipment, amid heavy fighting was underway in the neighborhood.
Resource Nusoj.
