Attacks on the Press in 2010 - Committee to Protect Journalists

Africa: Country Summariesthe regional parliament in July, had not been publicly disseminated by lateyear, leaving the press unsure even of what constituted a violation, localjournalists told CPJ. Following international pressure, Jama was freed on apresidential pardon in November.Journalists faced several other threats from Puntland security forces andrebel groups throughout the year. CPJ documented nine cases of policeand security personnel attacking journalists with impunity. In one case,security guards stationed at the High Court in Bossasso beat Radio Simbajournalist Ahmed Ibrahim Noor, leaving him unconscious, local journalistsreported. Noor suffered headaches and dizziness for days following theunexplained attack, the National Union of Somali Journalists reported.In January, unidentified assailants threw hand grenades at threeGalkayo-based radio stations: Radio Voice of Mudug, Radio Hobyo, andRadio Galkayo. Burhan Ahmed Dahir, secretary general of the MediaAssociation of Puntland, told CPJ that three journalists and one securityguard were injured in the attacks. The perpetrators and the motive wereunclear, Dahir said.By comparison, the northern breakaway republic of Somaliland boasteda vibrant press. Papers such as the critical private weekly Heegan were ableto provide thorough and balanced coverage of the region’s presidentialelection. Regional officials staged a relatively peaceful and free electionin which opposition leader Ahmed M. Mahamoud Silanyo defeated theincumbent, Dahir Riyale Kahin, for the presidency.“Given the poor resources and training of the journalists here,” BBCreporter Jamal Abdi told CPJ, “the local media did a remarkably good jobcovering the elections and polling across Somaliland’s six polling regions.”They did so despite some harassment. In early June, police detained severaljournalists for a day after they took pictures of presidential guards attackingpeople displaying an opposition party flag, local journalists toldCPJ. Security agents arrested Hadis Mohamed, editor of a critical websiteBaadiya, and held him without charge for a three-day period that coincidedwith the voting, Mohamed told CPJ. He said he was targeted for givingequal coverage to the opposition.The National Union of Somali Journalists petitioned the new governmentto allow private broadcasters to operate in Somaliland. AlthoughSomaliland had a relatively free, independent print press, its radio and TVoutlets were state-controlled. Many citizens relied on private radio stationsthat broadcast outside of the country, such as the Netherlands-basedHoryaal Radio, local journalists told CPJ.51