Somali journalists condemn harassment in Somaliland

By Magdalene Mukami and Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somali journalists have banded together to criticize the arrests of journalists by the government of Somaliland and the closure of a local TV station.

Horn Cable TV, which is headquartered in Hargeisa, was on Monday closed down by the Ministry of Information and a top editor arrested, the station's Director General Mohamed Abdi Ilig confirmed to the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ).

In a statement, FESOJ called for the immediate lift of the TV ban and asked Somaliland to "stop intimidations, harassments, arbitrary detentions against the journalists and the media at large and respect the media freedoms and the freedom of expression".

FESOJ Secretary-General Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu told reporters: "The decision to suspend Horn Cable TV in Somaliland is a clear violation against the press freedom and freedom of expression and shows how the authorities in Somaliland are still committed to silence the independent media".

This comes after numerous arrests of journalists have been witnessed in Somaliland in the recent past.

On July 30 this year, the committee to protect journalists(CPJ) reported the arrests of journalists privately owned Eryal TV who were filming a corruption story. More arrests were recorded across Somaliland in the month of September CPJ notes.