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Somaliland
Police raid, Closes down the offices of Popular Television,
Silences its Local FM Television in Hargeysa
Mogadishu,
14 January, 2012
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the
strongest terms possible the raid of the privately owned television
offices by the Somaliland police in Hargeysa on Saturday evening
around 7:30pm local time, a worrying trend highlighting the
dangers of the press freedom in Somaliland.
The police on 3 trucks raided the Marketing office of the Horn
Cable Television, an independent, popular television, located
in the center of Hargeysa, the capital of the Somaliland, on
Saturday evening around 7:32 and closed the offices, forcing
the media workers and journalists out of the office, according
to witnesses accounts.
The police also carried out similar raid to the main office
of the Television and shut down its local FM Television transmitter
viewed in Hargeysa, according to journalists.
The Television broadcasts both International Satellite and
Local FM Television Transmitters and is based in London, United
Kingdon and has several offices in Somalia.
"The police have just closed the marketing office of the
television in downtown Hargeysa." A journalist whose identity
withheld for security reasons said, "They have also shut
down the local FM TV transmitter viewed in Hargeysa."
The raid of the television offices follows after the Somaliland
President, Ahmed Mohamed Siilaanyo's annual constitutional address
to the Gurti House and house of representatives on Saturday
accused the privately owned Horn Cable Television for spreading
propaganda against his administration, among others.
"My government is a democratic institution that respects
the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. My government
has tolerated enough constructive critical reporting."
Ahmed Mohamed Siilaanyo, Somaliland president said in his address
"However, some have breached beyond the limit of the press
freedom, such as the privately owned Horn Cable which has been
openly broadcasting propaganda against the independence of the
Somaliland."
Calls to the senior management officials of the television
went unanswered.
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is greatly
concerned the deteriorating press freedom conditions in Somaliland.
Seven cases of arrests took place in Somaliland within a week,
three of which still held without charges as campaigns of
harrasment, intimidation and arrests against journalists continues
in Somaliland.
"We condemn the strongest terms possible the police raid
of the Television offices in Hargeysa which is an oppressive
act meant to silence the voice of the voiceless." Mohamed
Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, "We call upon Somaliland
authorities to refrain these oppressive acts and respect the
freedom of the expression as stipulated in the Somaliland constitution."
The National Union of Somali Journalists which is committed
to the defense of the press freedom and promotes the rights
of journalists and raising the standards of the Somali journalists
by raising their educational level will continue to monitor
the situation of the press freedom in Somaliland and updates
will follow soon.
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