Somalia Government Authorities Force Media Network Shut Down Through Terrorism

Somalia Government Authorities Force Media Network Shut Down Through Terrorism

shabelle.net

We are sadly announcing that our media network has ceased all its media activity after forces from the transitional government of Somalia randomly fired at our premises in Mogadishu yesterday and today.

During yesterday’s siege and barrage of firing at the premises of Shabelle Media Network, there were around 30 personnel at the building including management staff, journalists and supporting staff. All personnel sought cover as the bullets were flying in through the windows and doors.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
shabelle.net
www.newssafety.com
www.cnn.com
hrw.org

[edit on 9/20/2007 by DYepes]

Ever Since the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia siezed control from the Popular Peoples movement using Ethiopia's "paid" military support, government attacks against the Shabelle Media network have increased significantly. Through the months reporters have been detained without cause, some have been beaten, one was recently beaten and allegedly tortured by police.

Now the network is shutting down through fear and for the safety and consideration for their staff from the continue terrorism of the current regime. As of right now one of their technical staff is still trapped inside the building while the forces continue to fire in their attempt to completely destroy the building apparantley.

Even this morning, forces from the transitional federal government of Somalia still continue to assault our station with machineguns while a radio technician is trapped inside.

We are calling both local and international journalist advocacy groups to exert pressure on the government to let that technician be evacuated from the building. We are also calling the international in general and the contact group on Somalia in particular to pressure the government of Somalia guarantee and protect the freedom of expression in Somalia.

shabelle.net
(visit the link for the full news article)

One only need to dig with the first few pages of the Islamic Council, what it did for the citizens and stabiltiy in somalia, and then the aftermath that has occured daily since they were forced out by paid foreign forces. I say paid because the military aid to Ethiopia from the US increaed generously in the year following the rise of the Islamic Council, in a country whos population is 99% Islam and regular practitioners of the faith.

Would I be right in thinking that this attack is by troops from the Government newly installed? That being the government helped into power by the West, in what they said was an attempt to stop Islamic fundamentalists controlling Somalia?

Yes that is in fact correct. The same Transitional Federal government whos current leaders were mostly appointed, not voted in by anyone in particular.

The Ethiopian and Government forces have also taken to routinely randomly shelling whole neighborhoods where some attacks were reported. No specific target, they just bombard the whole neighborhood with artillery fire.

So next time we in the west decide to go off calling others state sponsors of terror, I suggest we double-check our closets and see the true meaning of state-sponsored terrorism.

This thread will dissapear into the archive with less than ten replies.

As do many threads which aren't controversial enough to produce a flame war or violent argument. This is just about the embarassing and retarded fact that once again Amerikkka has engineered and executed a coup in a country against an ideology, with negative effects for the normal people living there. The Somalians should have researched most of South America before asking for yankee help.

Sigh.

They have not asked for any help. They were helping themselves. And when it was seen they had a chance at stability, and order and unity was temporarily achieved, it was in the West's best interest to unleash a torrent of terrorism so great that it would destroy them even worse than before. A foreign military paid to destroy even more a country allready in ruins, because it dared to decide its own fate.


UPDATE: this media network was reporting their local news everyday for years, and this article is the last one. nothing from the 21st, and likely to be none for the twenty-second third fourth and so on.



[edit on 9/21/2007 by DYepes]

This is an interesting story, nice find.

It appears that this stuff isn't new to this Radio station. On a quick search I came across this. It's dated 19/06/06.

Amiin said that militiamen, acting on the orders of the Interior Minister Col. Hassan Mohammed Nur who is known as Shatigudud, entered its Baidoa premises and detained journalists Mohamed Adawe and Ali Mohamed Saed for about eight hours. The transitional government gave no explanation for its action.

There was also this back in August.

Makes you wonder why this isn't all over the news, especially this...

Six Somali journalists have been killed in direct relation to their work this year, making it the second deadliest country worldwide for journalists in 2007, CPJ research shows. Only Iraq has been more lethal for journalists.

allafrica.com...

Not surprising Iraq is first, but you don't hear Somalia mentioned very often as being deadly for journalists. I know six deaths is nothing compared to what's happening in Iraq for journalists but this still deserves attention.

And amazingly, each example you cited of the previous rights violations were done by the Western appointed and backed government. People ask for examples of how Western nations support terrorism in other countries, well here it is.

NAIROBI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Leaders of Somalia's interim government have given assurances there will be no repeat of an armed raid this week on the independent Shabelle media house, new U.N. special envoy Ahmedou Ould Abdallah said on Saturday.

But he told Reuters "for me that is not enough. I judge people by their acts."

He added in an interview: "They (government leaders) say it was an accident. But what is important is that they recognised it was unnecessary, that it was a mistake."

Reuters

Well I fail to see how it was any kind of accident, seeing as the building was completely surrounded. Not only was it completely surrounded, after the staff evacuated, they continued assailing the building, even with a technician trapped inside.

In any case, thank God somebody in the world actually decided to care about this poor country and its free press, and has taken steps to try and stop this from happening again. I only wonder if they will be compensated somehow.

Ever wonder how Ethiopia is being funded to maintain thousands of troops in the country? It is most definetly not taxes, MILITARY aid is the name of the game, and it is coming from the biggest dog on the block.

Even the big dog makes mistakes though, and I would like to hope the statement by the US State Department played a role in eliciting this gaurantee from the false government.

The government's treatment of journalists has angered press freedom groups, and on Saturday U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was "gravely concerned".

"We call on the Transitional Federal Government to ensure the safety and protection of a free and independent media in Somalia," McCormack said in a statement.

"Shabelle Media Network and other Somali media organisations play a vital role in the continued political dialogue and reconciliation process in Somalia."

I just wonder what we can do on the citizen level to help this exploited country a little more.

Excellent Thread!

It's easy to miss things like this... the truly important events being shadowed by pop issues.

I need to do more research into the US backing, but this sort of thing is perfectly consistent with the standing policy that has been in place for 60 years.

Well, you can start here. It started around the beginning of 2006, with the Western back terrorists being mostly defeated in Mogadishu by Mid-summer, and then pushed out of most of Southern Somalia by the end of Autumn.

Us Forces spotted on Somali, kenya border
The name of the game is Oil in Somalia
Making a Mountain out of a molehill