SOMA condemns physical assault on SBC TV & Radio journalist in Mogadishu

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SOMA condemns physical assault on SBC TV & Radio journalist in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia 21 May, 2020- Somali Media Association (SOMA) condemns in the strongest terms possible the assault against SBC TV & Radio journalist Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikhdon by a senior police officer while covering a COVID-19 related incid

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SBC TV journalist, Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikhdon was assaulted and briefly detained while on assignment to cover Covid-19 awareness campaign in Mogadishu on Thursday 21 May, 2020. | Photo credit: SBC

MOGADISHU, Somalia 21 May, 2020- Somali Media Association (SOMA) condemns in the strongest terms possible the assault against SBC TV & Radio journalist Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikhdon by a senior police officer while covering a COVID-19 related incident in Mogadishu's Hamar-jajab district.

Capt. Rahmo Salad Mohamed, Hamar Jajab police commissioner, accompanied by armed police officers slapped the journalist, Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikhdon, on the face, while on duty and later had him summoned to the police station where he was held for one hour, before he was set free without charge. SBC TV and Radio is a member of Somali Media Association (SOMA)

"I was slapped by the Hamar-jajab police commissioner Capt. Rahmo Salad Mohamed while I was on duty, and took me to the jail and later released me without charges” Abdullahi Mohamed Sheikhdon said.

 Somali Media Association (SOMA) is worried about the continued attacks against the media and condemns all sorts of violations including today’s incident in which senior police officer physically assaulted SBC TV & Radio journalist.

"What happened has been very unfortunate and condemn it ” Mohamed Abduwahab, Secretary General of the Somali Media Association (SOMA), a media umbrella body with its membership exceeding over 30 Radio and TV stations across the country, said, "The perpetrators must not go unpunished and journalists deserve right to justice as every citizen does”

The incident follows after Somalia’s Ministry of Information requested the media houses united under SOMA to voluntarily take part in the awareness campaign launched by the government in every district of Mogadishu, which the media houses agreed.

"We can not tolerate that the rights of journalists covering the COVID-19 be violated on daily basis and demand justice.” Mr. Abduwahab added.  END-

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 SOMA is an association under which at least 30 media houses based in Puntland, Galmudug , Hirshabelle, Banadir, Jubaland and South West of Somalia are united