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Local
Administration in central Somalia town of Dhusamareb beat and
arrest two Journalists
Mogadishu, June 12, 2012
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has just learned
the arrest of two journalists by militias loyal to Ahlu Sunna
Waljama administration in the central Somalia town of Dhusamareb
on early hours on Tuesday morning on June 12, 2012 around 06:30am
local time.
Militias loyal to the local Sufi militias, Ahlu Suna Wal-Jama
raided the offices of the Radio Voice of Central Dhusamareb
(Idaacadda Codka Bartamaha Dhusamareb) based in Dhusamareb on
Tuesday morning around 6:20am local time, where they have seriously
beaten and arrested Bashir Mohamed Salad Aka Bashir Sanka who
contributes both Dalsan Radio, a privately owned independent
radio station based in Mogadishu and Idacada Codka Bartamaha,
an independent radio station based Dhusamareb and Abdi Jamal
Moalim Ahmed, who is the correspondent of Radio Bar-Kulan, a
UN Funded radio.
The arrest and the beating of the journalists follows after
the local people in Dhusamareb left the town in for safety purposes
and fearing possible overnight Shabab attack and the journalists
were among those fled with their lives for safety. The journalists,
whose arrest were reasoned for only leaving the town during
the night, were arrested with the orders of Farhan Moalim Ali,
the Chief of local security committee in the town of Dhusamareb.
The head of the union's Central Somalia Branch, Mr. Abdulasis
Wehliye Cofle called the arrest unprecedented attack against
the journalists in central Somalia regions by Ahlu Sunna Waljama
militias and called for the group to unconditionally release
the journalists.
"The journalists were part of the general public who all
left the town for their safety and arrests and beatings could
not be the response," Abdiasis Wehliye Cofle, Chairman
of the union's central Somalia branch said, "We call Ahlu
Sunna Waljama to immediately release the journalists unconditionally."
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is deeply
worried over the health conditions of Bashir
Mohamed Salad who was seriously wounded in the suicide blast
in Dhusamareb early last month. Bashir has recently returned
from Ethiopia for treatment, though there some concerns of his
health status as reported by Bashir to the National Union of
Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).
The Shabab, which is affiliated to Al-Qaeda looted the Radio
equipment twice after raiding the town and briefly taking it
over, there has been similar fears within the residents after
the Ahlu Sunna Waljama militias supported by the Ethiopian troops
abandoned the town of Elbur, a strategic town in central Somalia
this weekend.
On 5th June, 2012, The Deputy Security Chief of the town's
Security Committee, Mr. Nor Elmi Hoosagale threatened the journalists
after similar episode, of which the town's people evacuated
the town, took place.
On June 8, 2012 Two unknown assailants armed with pistols shot
twice Mohamed
Noor Mohamed better known as Mohamed Sharif - reporter for
the Bar-Kulan Radio - below the heart which penetrated the back
and the stomach on Friday evening June 8, 2012 around 7:30pm
local time near Horn Cable Television office in Hamarjajab neighborhood
as he was returning from work. The attackers fled the area immediately,
according to witnesses.
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