Somalia govt restricts Channel4 freelance journalist, imposes new measures on local media

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Somalia govt restricts Channel4 freelance journalist, imposes new measures on local media

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somali authorities in Mogadishu on Sunday stopped Jamal Osman, the Africa Correspondent for Channel 4 News shortly after his flight landed at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, colleagues and local press freed

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Jamal Osman is Africa Correspondent for Channel 4 News.

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somali authorities in Mogadishu on Sunday stopped Jamal Osman, the Africa Correspondent for Channel 4 News shortly after his flight landed at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, colleagues and local press freedom activists told Horn Observer.

Mr. Osman, a multi-award winning journalist and filmmaker specialising sub-Saharan Africa, was entering the country to conduct his journalism work. According to colleagues we spoke to, he was briefly held by agents of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) at the airport who then imposed restrictions on him.

"Jamal was briefly held by NISA agents at the airport and his movement restricted. He is now at a hotel inside the airport where he was told not to leave," the colleague said with anonymous.

In November, Jamal won the Rory Peck Trust News Feature Award for his bravery documentary covering about the militant group al-Shabaab.

Meanwhile, officials at the Somalia presidential palace imposed new measures on the local media stations in Mogadishu by demanding media directors and editors to submit a written copy of their news headlines in advance before any broadcast daily.

"I was called by Villa Somalia communication official on Saturday morning and he informed me to submit a written version of our news stories before our daily broadcast. I have asked the reason but he told me that all other media stations were given similar orders," said Mohamed Abduwahab, the director of the independent Risaala Media Corporation.

Managers and editors of two other media stations have confirmed that they received similar instructions from the presidency.

"This is a new form of censorship. It is totally unacceptable," added Onkod radio editor Bashir Nur.

Somalia is the most dangerous country in Africa for journalists, with militant attacks being the biggest threat, media watchdogs say.

On 11 October, NISA detained the secretary-general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Abdalle Ahmed Mumin who is currently facing severe restrictions on his travel and journalistic work. NISA officers also raided the SJS office in Mogadishu. That was a day after the local press freedom watchdogs issued a joint press statement raising concern on a new government directive to ban independent coverage of the ongoing conflict between Somali government forces backed by the clan militia and the al-Qaeda militant group al-Shabaab.

Journalists and international human rights groups warned that such a directive could limit editorial independence and could deny the public its right to know and the right to free expression.