CAIRO: The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) today protested vociferously about persistent measures to suppress journalists by Somaliland authorities after arresting another journalist. Journalist Abdullahi Hussein Darwish, reporter for Royal TV and Waaheen newspaper, was arrested in Erigabo town of Sanag region in northern Somalia on 24 April 2012. Somaliland police accused Darwish of spreading “false news” without specifying the nature of alleged news. But local journalists believe that he was arrested because of a news report filed about distribution of food in Erigabo. In this report, people who were supposed to receive complained that they were cut off from receiving the food for groundless reasons. “Somaliland must end current trend of arresting and detaining journalists because of their work. Journalists must be allowed to cover news events without fear of arrest and harassment, including those happening in Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn regions,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. In a separate incident on 24 April, Abdiasis Ahmed Diriye, editor of Simba Radio in Mogadishu was wounded after gunmen attacked where he was sitting with other people in the evening. The armed men wanted to kill a man sitting with Diriye who was consequently wounded by one of the bullets at left leg. The intended victim died on the spot while another person was also wounded in the attack. This was a minor wound and the journalist is currently recuperating at his home. Reporting by National Union of Somali Journalists.
