Somalian Union Condemns an Official Order Banning a Journalist

Statement from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is condemning an order banning journalist Mohamed Abukar Aseyr to exercise his journalistic profession in Jowhar, the temporary seat of the president and the prime minister of the transitional federal government of Somali Republic.

The order banning Mr. Aseyr to work with Radio Jowhar was issued by the political administration of Middle Shabelle region on 12 August, although the realities of the story came out only yesterday. “I was negotiating with the security officers of the administration, but it became to me difficult to persuade them to lift from me the ban” said Mr. Aseyr in an interview with the National Union of Somali Journalists.

Mr Mohamed Abukar Aseyr, who was also the Jowhar correspondent of Mogadishu based Radio Hamar Voice of Democracy (VOD), was banned due to comments he added to his reports to VOD according to reliable sources in Jowhar. The reports were mainly about the transitional federal government, though VOD is not currently operational for technical purposes.

Officials from NUSOJ and the management of Radio Jowhar are tomorrow opening discussions with the Political Administration of Middle Shabelle region on Aseyr’s case. “We condemn this order which bans our colleague to exercise his professional tasks” said Omar Faruk Osman, the secretary general of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). “Our tomorrow’s appeal to the administration is clear and we want from the administration to winch up the ban on Mr. Aseyr immediately and unreservedly”.

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Press Freedom Monitoring
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This information is disseminated by the NUSOJ Information and Human Rights Office as part of the office’s roles of monitoring violations of freedom of press in Somalia.

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CONTACT: Omar Faruk Osman (the Secretary General), Mohamed Ibrahim Isak (the Information and Human Rights Officer) and Ali Moallim Isak (the organizing secretary); Telefax: +252-1-859944.