Somalia:Local media takes tough stand.

Mogadishu 8 March  2009

The directors of the local media operating in Mogadishu and officials of the Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ) said it is a great misfortune that a meeting in which they had with the government’s minister of information ended in deadlock after the minister informed the press to comply with he called ‘The National Council of Journalists’

“it is amazing that the new minister of information come with none exist media council which he proclaimed that it is representing the government and it had not to threaten to take tough action against any journalist who refuse to register in the so-called council as there is no media council legally formed by the two sides. The free media groups can form its council and then submit it into the ministry of information which it is wanted to present before the parliament for approval,” said Dahir Abdulle Alasow, chairman of ASOJ.

Mr. Alasow said the media council as a tool in which the government want to oppress the free press. “referring to the objection by the free media, I would say loudly, this has nothing to do with us and we won’t comply with the fabricated Media Council by the government and we are appealing to the minister of information Farhan to think of his toddling stepping,” he added.

Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ) and other media parts in the capital agreed on several articles.

1. The free media should be allowed for its determination of electing Somali National Press Council that can represent the whole media people to protect rights of journalists and keep ethics of journalism.

2. Somali National Media Council and press committee of the information ministry must be formed to make some amendments to the rules of the journalism by the government to omit any thing that might confront the freedom of press.

3.The minister of information should not be hasty to issues ordering the journalists to get registered and it must back out of its decisions until the formation of commissions of the ministry and the free media whose first tasks will be correcting the media rules set by the government.

4.The minister of information should realize the freedom of media and rights groups and respect the willing its heads.

5.The free press should help restore peace in the country and redouble broadcasting the news stories to defend the venerable people like children and women those often killed in the conflicts in violation of Islamic religion and human rights.

6.it should be given concentration to the recent decisions by the local media in Mogadishu which they agreed to avoid from exaggerating the conflict and leave stories made by unpopular persons aimed to destabilize the country.

7.The free media should undertake how the abducted foreign journalists in Somalia to be freed and also tell the truth of those behind the killing and kidnapping of the aid workers and foreign journalists wherever they came from.

8.The independent media should charge the deputy prime minister and minister of fishing Abdirahman Ibbi for his recent threats against the media.

9.The upper committee in the parliament and heads of the civil society should specify why the independent media be given its 5 members in the parliament as promised while the civil society given 75 Mps under the deal of power sharing reached in Djibouti.

10.The free media in Somalia is asking for the international community and media groups in the world not to watch helplessly to the local journalists suffering in the neighboring countries.

Finally, in their statement, they are thanking the governments and organizations that helping and protecting the freedom of the press in Somalia as some its people died for their duties.

By ASOJ Spokesman,Sunni Said Saleh
Associated Somali Journalists (ASOJ)
Mogadishu-Somalia (Office)
sunni@asoj.org
asoj@asoj.org