SOMALIA: NUSOJ incensed by the beating of a journalist in Puntland
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The journalist Ahmed Jokar was beaten, tore his trousers, took his cell phone and broke the camera by security guards of Bari governor. Thursday July 12th.Photo credit Raxanreeb.
Mogadishu (RBC) The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is outraged by the apparent attack by security guards of regional governor of Bari region to a TV journalist and union official in commercial port town of Bossasso, meanwhile the union supported a wounded colleague in Nairobi.
The security guards of Abdisamad Mohamed Gallan, governor of Puntland’s Bari region in northeastern Somalia beat, took the cell phone of Ahmed Muse Ali, known Ahmed Jokar, who is correspondent of the privately owned Royal TV network in Bosaso and member of the NUSOJ Supreme Council on Thursday, 12 July, 2012 after returning from Hotel International Village where he was covering Somali presidential candidate.
“When I finished covering the event at the Hotel International village, I was called by the governor outside the hotel and he yelled at me ordering his guards to shoot me.” Ahmed Jookar said “I did not move, they beat, tore my trousers, took my cell phone and broke my camera.”
The disagreement between the journalist and the governor initially started when the journalist cut “the sound bites” of the governor in several of his reporting, followed by phone conversations including threats which Mr. Jookar recorded and later informed the governor that “he recorded his phone threats”, according to local journalists and the union representative in Puntland, Mr. Omar Said Mohamed.
“We condemn the act of beating and harassing the journalist, who is one of the NUSOJ officials.” Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “Even, he recorded the phone threats, the answer would not have been beating and gun pointing.”
In a separate incident, The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) supported journalist Mohamed Nur Mohamed of Radio Bar Kulan with money for medical assistance and related expenses on Saturday, 7 July 2012 who was discharged from a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya recently.
The money – $3000 – donated by Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) was handed to journalist Mohamed Nur Mohamed by NUSOJ Training Secretary, Mohamed Garane along with veteran Somali journalist Ali Muse Abdi.
Mohamed Nur Mohamed known as Sharifka, a journalist working for radio Bar Kulan was injured in Mogadishu on 8 June 2012 by unidentified gun men and was later flown to Nairobi for treatment by the administration of radio Bar Kulan.
“I thank the administration of Radio Bar Kulan and its whole staff who showed their full support while I was in hospital and the National Union of Somali Journalists for their efforts” Said Moahmed Nur Mohamed.
“The work done by NUSOJ and Doha Centre is something I will never forget and I am grateful to them” Mohamed added.
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) always grateful the generous support of Doha Center for Media Freedom is giving to the Somali journalists in distress.
RBC Radio
On behalf of puntland youth conection organization. we are very sorry any act against somali journalists. and we are sending condolence to all bereaved families including journalists and somali civilians who like journalists and ready to protect as possible. we are telling Tfg and regional governmets that somali journalist wark with deficult situation, so you have to respect and work with them, Also protect, becouse Tfg and regional governments are acting somali civilian. civilian will not cotent any agresive incomand.