38 journalists detained by Somali authorities

Somalia’s Western-backed government forces beat and detained a record number of journalists in 2019, the journalists’ syndicate told Reuters on Friday.

The detainment has prompted suggestions that the government is suppressing scrutiny of its security record ahead of elections due this year.

For years, the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab insurgency was accused of killing Somali journalists.

Those assassinations have fallen, although two journalists were among those killed in a bombing in 2019.

According to data compiled by Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, Secretary-General of the Somali Journalists, Syndicate State Security forces detained an “unprecedented” 38 journalists in Somalia in 2019.

Most were detained while reporting on bombings or insurgent attacks but some were reporting on corruption.

That compares to 16 journalists detained in 2018, 12 in 2017 and six in 2016, the year before dual U.S.-Somali citizen President Mohamed Abdullahi, known by his nickname Farmajo, took power, Mumin said.

“The government is not allowing journalists to report,’’ he said.

Officials rarely release casualty figures from incidents like Saturday’s truck bomb, which killed around 90 people.

In most cases, journalists are not charged and are released after hours or days, according to the report.

“In 2019, 37 journalists were beaten, shot at or threatened at gunpoint in Somalia, mostly by state security forces,’’ the report said.

The figures do not include the breakaway republic of Somaliland.

However, Somalia’s Police spokeswoman, the Interior Minister and Information Ministry spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

“I have no comment,’’ Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre told Reuters when asked about the crackdown during a visit to Qatar.

(Reuters/NAN)

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x