Sunday, 17 January 2010
Unidentified assailants threw hand grenades to Radio Voice of Mudug, Radio Hobio and Radio Galkayo in Galkayo town of Mudug region in central Somalia on Friday evening 15th January 2010. Journalists Mohamed Isse Mohamud of Radio Voice of Mudug, Abdulkadir Mohamed Jimale of Horn Cable TV and Faysal Abdi Jama of Radio Hobio were wounded in the attacks. One of the security guards of Radio Voice of Mudug also wounded. Mohamed Isse Mohamud and Abdulkadir Mohamed Jimcale were both wounded inside Radio Voice of Mudug.
“The three journalists have slight injuries from the grenade explosions and are in good health now,” said Liban Isse Omar, the director of Radio Voice of Mudug who spoke to NUSOJ via telephone. “The journalists find difficult to go out for duties as they are in shock with attack,” added Liban. Liban Isse Omar told NUSOJ that wounded journalists were admitted to the hospital but brought back to their homes.
According to NUSOJ information the first two attacks occurred in minutes on Radio Voice of Mudug and Radio Hobio around 19:45hrs local time. An assailant lobbed a grenade at Radio Galkayo. All entry and exit routes of the media houses were sealed for 4 hours and a quick hunt was launched for the attacking.
“These attacks were brutal acts of terrorism. Such attacks against the media never happened in the country and only increased sense of insecurity. We are extremely worried,” said Burhan Ahmed Dahir, NUSOJ Coordinator in Puntland. “These acts of cruel terrorization can be understood as a thinly disguised effort to shut up critical and dissenting voices in the media,” he added.
While welcoming the arrest of one of the perpetrators, NUSOJ calls on the Puntland authorities to take urgent steps to conduct fair, speedy and transparent investigations in order to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. The union also asks the authorities to provide protection to the media houses since they are facing imminent threats as a result of discharging their professional duties.
"Media houses and their journalists have every right to be protected to discharge professional duties without fear of intimidation, obstruction, bombing, harassment or unacceptable interference. Safety and security of the media is endangered as a result of fulfilling their functions and they shall be sufficiently protected by the authorities,’ Burhan says.
This terror campaign of media houses and journalists is the latest episode in a continuing wave of harassment of, which are concerted efforts to restrain the freedom of the media. Journalist Osman Adan Areys of SIMBA Radio and Daljir Radio was wounded in Beledweyne town of Hiran region.
NUSOJ remains in constant monitoring of the situation in Galkayo, tracking events as they unfold.
Source: NUSOJ