Somalia: ASOJ speaks out day of world’s freedom press.

Mogadishu 03 May  2009

Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ) on Sunday welcomed the commemoration of the 3th May 2009 which the day of World’s freedom of journalism as the free media people in Somalia are in state of death threats and intimidation for their journalistic tasks.

Journalists in many parts of Somalia are today celebrating the day of freedom of press and discussed over how the people in the field could perform their duties in a safe way and get protection against the enemy of the free media.


“We know that this year 2009 started with tragedy faced the journalism in Somalia as 1st January, a reporter of Radio Shabelle Hassan Mayow was killed in lower Shabelle, southern Somalia and February 4, 2009 armed men shot dead the director of Horn Afrik radio Saed tahlil Ahmed in Mogadishu,” said in a statement issued by Dahir Abdulle Alasow, the chairman of ASOJ.

Alasow added that eight Somali journalists were killed in the year 2008 alone as dozens more were wounded, with some tortured and arrested while more than 50 others fled the country and now live exile in abroad

The ASOJ chairman congratulated all Somali journalist in and outside of the country on the day of world’s freedom press and hoped them for better bright future stressing that journalists should never give up from their work of human rights defending.

He also sent his condolences to all media people and relatives for those journalists who died in the act of their journalistic jobs.

Alasow appealed for the current government and international community bring those behind the killings of journalists on court.

 

By Sunni Said Saleh
Asoj Spokesman
Sunni@asoj.org
sirsunni@gmail.com
Mogadishu-Somalia