Somaliland Police raid, close 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.

“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.

“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 the standards of the Somali journalists by trainings will continue
to monitor the situation of the press freedom in Somaliland and
updates will follow soon.

Click this link for the full story:

http://www.nusoj.org.so/alerts/2012/Jan2012/Somaliland_police_raid_closes_down_the_offices_of_popular_television_silences_its_local_fm_television.htm

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