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Somalia's Exiled Press Pack
Speculation continues about the fate of the western journalists kidnapped with their Somali colleagues. As usual with Somalia there are lots of different theories floating around but I learned long ago to steer clear of anyone who claims to know what's going on so I'm not going to pass on the various titbits I am picking up.
Anyway I spent the weekend with several Somali journalists who are now based in Nairobi. Mogadishu is simply too dangerous for them to operate. They are getting it in the neck from both sides.
Abdirahmen Mohamed Hassan was the director of an FM radio station, Somali Weyn, who arrived in Nairobi a few weeks ago. In January he was arrested by police who accused him of supporting al Qaeda, the reason being that he had sent a reporter to Asmara where various Islamist leaders were based. He was held for 17 days without charge, his home turned upside down as police officers searched for evidence and he slept on a bare floor crammed into a tiny cell with 20 other prisoners - some of them spies posing as detainees. Public pressure eventually forced his release.
After his release he began to receive death threats from government officials and security officers, angry at what they saw as anti-government coverage. (This is, you remember, the government of thugs and gangsters that is receiving millions of dollars of aid from the EU and Britain. The US is content to deliver its aid in the form of missiles.)
Six months later the Islamists decided he was not doing enough to help the struggle against Ethiopian invaders. He was bundled into a car and driven to a villa where he was kept for a day at gunpoint before being released. The death threats began as soon as he was set free.
He is now one of a band of exiled journalists living in hotels in Eastleigh, Nairobi's Little Mogadishu. But he says he is desperate to return home as soon as it is safe to continue trying to rebuild his country.
"We are trying to educate the people who are fighting to stop fighting. This is my fight for peace. Every day my time on the radio, I was campaigning for peace, organising concerts for bands. The people suffering are my people."
3 Comments
| September 3, 2008 4:48 PM
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Keep up the good work. I hope you can go home soon
| September 10, 2008 8:15 PM
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Last three years, huma rights, peace, educations and reporters were killed and threatened by unknown groups, most of them fled to Somali neighborig countries such as Djabbuti, Kenya and Uganda, though, some journalists got resttlement in UK and netherlands.
Some of the Somali exiled huma rights, peace, educations and reporters got refugee status, but un forjunately, UNHCR did not still assist them, for example, Somali journalists who are in Uganda, need protection and some of them are complaining about what thier future will be, as it is well known, the life in Uganda is too much expensive.
The Somali refugee and exiled journalists in Uganda as follows: -
1- Abdikadir Ahmed Olad,
2- Hassan Abdullahi
3- Ahmedsadik Yusuf Mohamed
4- Babul Nur
5- Ali Dini
6- Farah Blue
There are also others who are Soamli human rights activists like: -
1- Abdullahi Alas Jimale
2- Abukar Sheikh Yusuf
3- Samsam.
However, all these Somali human righs, peace, journalists activists need assistance from international humanitarian organizations specially the factors involved with human rights and journalism.
Human rights members and journalists who are currently in the country have not confidence to stay in Somalia and they are still under attack.
Ahmedsadik Yusuf Mohmed
Somali victim, refugee and exiled journalists
Kampala-Uganda
Email: saadaqcadeyahoo.com
Mobil:+256775631779
What do you think?
Rob Crilly in Jerusalem
Rob Crilly is a freelance journalist based in Jerusalem writing for The Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Mail. He spent...
I am Ahmedsadik Yusuf Mohamed, One of Somali victim, refugee and exiled journalists living in Kampala- Ugnada, at the same times, I was the director of Hiran journalits Club in B/wein town, in Hiran , central region of Somalia, I was also SOJON founders known as NUSOJ.
I got injury in 2007 when I was working the journalism, human rights and peace promotion.
Gun men cruelly opened fires the car which I was traveling from B/wein town to Mogadishu.
Last two years, Somali journalists, human rights and peace activists were killed and threatened.