Local journalist briefly detained for reporting alleged aid mismanagement

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Local journalist briefly detained for reporting alleged aid mismanagement

AFGOYE, SOMALIA (HORN OBSERVER) - A local journalist who was briefly detained on Sunday in Afgoye town, about 30km southwest of Somali capital was released after staying behind the bars for hours without charge.

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AFGOYE, SOMALIA (HORN OBSERVER) - A local journalist who was briefly detained on Sunday in Afgoye town, about 30km southwest of Somali capital was released after staying behind the bars for hours without charge.

Ibrahim Mohamed Mayow working with Dalsan, a local television station based in Mogadishu had last Saturday filed a story about IDPs complaining of aid being stolen in Afgoye but the following morning he was arrested by the police officers in Lower Shabelle region.

The police did not officially say what motivated the detention of the journalist.

According to the management of Dalsan TV, Mayow was freed hours later after Lower Shabelle governor, Abdikadir Sidii ordered his release.

"Ibrahim Mayow, a correspondent for Dalsan in the Lower Shabelle region, has been released following intervention by the governor of the Lower Shabelle region,” the station Director Abdirisak Mire Dhore said in a Facebook post on Sunday 2 May, 2021.

Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), a local pressure group has welcomed the released but urged the authorities to respect press freedom.

"Detaining journalist just for reporting the complaint of internally displaced families in Afgoye is unacceptable,” SJS General Secretary, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin. "We are glad that Mohamed Mayor has been freed but we call for South West State authorities to stop harassing and intimidating journalists who report issues of public interest.”

The media watchdog group has called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of the murder of a journalist killed last year outside Somali capital.

"Instead of jailing Mayow, government officials in Afgoye should have been investigated those who killed Abdiwali Ali Hassan (aka Abdiwali Onine) who was shot dead in Afgoye town, on 16 February, 2020,” Mumin said.