JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 01, 2018
Join our WhatsApp channel
NAIROBI- Authorities in the breakaway region of Somaliland should desist from detaining and harassing journalists covering a conflict with Puntland and lift an operations ban on two television stations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Saturday.
Two journalists, Abdirahman Keyse Mohamed, also known as Tungub, and Mohamed Ahmed Jama, also known as Bidhaanshe, were arrested on May 27 and May 28, respectively, in the town of Las Anod in the contested Sool Region, according to Yahye Ahmed, the executive director of the Somaliland Journalists Association, and Guleid Ahmed Jama, the chairperson of the advocacy organization the Human Rights Centre.
Abdirahman told CPJ that he and Mohamed were detained at a police station in Las Anod until May 30, when they were transferred to the main detention center in the city. Neither was charged, and they were not brought to court until yesterday, when they were granted bail and released, Abdirahman told CPJ. This is in contravention of Article 27 of Somaliland's constitution, which stipulates that arrested individuals must be produced in court within 48 hours.
Abdirahman, a reporter with the privately owned Bulsho TV, told CPJ that local authorities did not explain why they had arrested him. In a May 26 report, he had interviewed members of the public about the conflict between Puntland and Somaliland, Abdirahman, Yahye, and Bulsho TV's deputy manager, Abdirashid Nour Wais, told CPJ.
On the morning of May 28, police had prevented Abdirahman and other journalists from covering a local council meeting about the conflict between the two regions. Abdirahman said the officers also broke his camera. He was arrested later that morning at the Bulsho TV offices in Las Anod; he told CPJ. Mohamed, a journalist with privately owned SBS TV, told CPJ that he was arrested while covering a demonstration in Las Anod.
On May 29, Somaliland's information ministry banned SBS TV and another privately-owned station, SOMNews, from operating in Somaliland, according to Guleid, Yahye, and a government statement.
The Ministry of Information accused the stations of inaccurate reporting and carrying out a "propaganda war" against Somaliland, according to the government statement and a statement by the Human Rights Centre. The ministry ordered the police to close all SOMNews and SBS branches in Somaliland and threatened individuals that send information to the two stations with legal action, according to the government statement. Though news gathering operations were banned in Somaliland, viewers in Somaliland could still access the satellite content of the two stations yesterday afternoon, according to Guleid.
"During times of conflict, the government ought to be creating a conducive environment for journalists to communicate diverse information to the public, not stifling the press," said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal from New York. "We call on the Somaliland authorities to lift the operations ban on SOMNews and SBS TV, and to stop detaining and harassing journalists."
Somaliland and Puntland have both vied for control of the Sool region for over ten years. In recent weeks fighting over the disputed region has taken dozens of lives, according to media reports. On May 28, anti-Somaliland protesters took to the streets in Las Anod in support of Puntland and the Mogadishu-based government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, according to reports by Reuters and the privately-owned Garowe Online.
In a press conference the same day, the Sool regional police commissioner, Abdirisak Mohamed Faarah, told journalists that authorities had arrested 57 protesters, including the two journalists, according to a statement from the Human Rights Centre. The regional police commissioner also said police were looking for two more journalists in connection to the demonstrations, according to Yahye Ahmed and Guleid. CPJ could not immediately establish the identity of the other two journalists.
Somaliland's minister of information, Abdirrahman Abdullahi Farah, did not respond to a call and text messages from CPJ on May 29. A spokesperson in his office, Yonis Ali, on May 29 referred CPJ to the government statement issued on the shutdown of the two stations. He did not respond to questions May 30 asking for clarity on the legality of banning the two television stations nor did he address questions about the arrests of the two journalists.
Somaliland Deputy Police Commissioner Abdirahman Liban Fohle on the morning of May 30 said he did not know why the journalists were arrested and asked CPJ to call him back later in the day. He did not respond to a call and two text messages in the afternoon. CPJ could not reach Sool Governor Abdi Khayre Dirir.
The arrests of the two journalists and the shutdown of SOMNews and SBS operations are not the first action the Somaliland government is taking against the media in connection to the conflict in Puntland. According to a statement from the Human Rights Centre, parliamentarians on May 23 banned unauthorized press conferences and meetings in the Sool region. – A CPJ News Alert/Photo: AFP
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.