Somalia

Dozens of media freedom groups are calling on the Prime Minister of Somalia to rescind the arbitrary eviction order currently faced by the Shabelle Media Network. The eviction would place Radio Shabelle staff in immediate physical danger.

Mohamed Mohamud Tima’ade was shot six times by unidentified assailants on 22 October 2013. He is currently in hospital.

The National Union of Somali Journalists criticizes Somalia’s latest draft media law, as it lacks adequate safeguards to ensure respect for freedom of expression.

Gunmen hurled two hand bombs at Radio Daljir in Galkayo, Puntland (an autonomous region of Somalia) on 15 October 2013. Journalists who were preparing for the evening broadcast, and a guard, were in the station at the time of the explosion, which destroyed the station’s wall and damaged the staff vehicle.

A resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council expresses “deep concern at the continuing attacks and abuses against journalists in Somalia…and underscores the need to end impunity”.

Universal TV was closed down on 21 September due to its lack of live coverage of a speech made by Puntland’s president at the New Deal Conference in Brussels, Belgium, on 16 September.

Media practitioners believe Al-Shabaab militants killed Ahmed Sharif Ahmed because of his work with Radio Mogadishu – a government-run and controlled radio station.

Awil Mohamud Abdi was followed home by armed men from Radio Galkayo on 2 August 2013. Armed men subsequently shot at his bedroom window seven times.

Join 35 IFEX members calling for amendments to Somalia’s media law before it goes to parliament in August. Please sign a letter that will automatically be sent to the Prime Minister.

IFEX members issued a joint call for amendments to a deeply-flawed draft media law in Somalia before it goes to parliament for approval in August.

The management of Kalsan TV and journalists in Somaliland believe that the ban was prompted by a political debate which was recently broadcasted by Kalsan TV.

Mus’ab Abdullahi Adan and Farah Sahal Omar were injured in southern Somalia after Islamist extremist group Al-Shabaab used an improvised explosive device to attack African Union peacekeeping forces.

The National Union of Somali Journalists fears that a draft media law passed on 11 July 2013 by Somalia’s council of ministers can be easily misused for political purposes. The draft law gives broad powers to a proposed national media council, which would work under the Ministry of Information.

Journalists suspect that Liban Abdullahi Farah’s death – the fifth murder of a journalist in Somalia in 2013 – may be related to reports that he filed about Puntland political parties campaigning in Galkayo.

The editor-in-chief and the director of Hubaal newspaper received jail terms and fines over two articles. One article purported that Ethiopian diplomatic staff based in Hargeisa are involved in the smuggling of illicit drugs, while another made allegations about the Somaliland president’s health.

The regional court of the semi-autonomous republic of Somaliland has banned all Somali printing agencies and distributors from printing and circulating the independent daily Hubaal, at the request of the acting attorney general.