ASOJ reacts government threats against free media Associated Somali .

Mogadishu 4 March  2009

Journalists (ASOJ) on Tuesday strongly condemned thethreat remarks by a government minister against the free media asirresponsible and intolerable.

“we are so sorry that Prof. Abdirahman Ibbi, the deputy prime minister andminister of fishing gave threats to the independent media outlets. It ismisfortunate that the new government start sooner to harming the freepress,” said in a statement issued by the ASOJ adding that it is notunacceptable to the freedom of media in Somalia.

ASOJ appealed to the federal parliament to discuss the disgrace by theminister of the government on the free media. Chairman of ASOJ Dahir Abdulle Alasow has reacted to the government’sthreats on the journalists “Prof. Ibbi has been enemy to the free media for his record, therefore Iwould recommend to the government of national unity to exclude thisminister from the cabinet,” said Ibbi.Somalia’s minister of fishing and deputy prime minister Prof. AbdirahmanHajji Ibbi said they would take tough actions to curb the local mediaoperating in Mogadishu accusing them of being part of the problem in thecountry, media reports say on Tuesday.

The threat by the government official came as the journalists have beensuffering for the in numerous violations including killing, wounding,torturing and intimidation while dozens of them fled the country for theirsafety.

The offensive remarks shocked many journalists in the country who wereexpecting the new government to come with a policy to respect the freedomof media in Somalia.
 

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