SIMHA Marks World Press Freedom Day amid New Government Restrictions on Journalists.
Somali Independent Media Houses Association (SIMHA) organized an event to mark World Press Freedom Day.
The event which was held in Somali capital Mogadishu was attend by representatives from over 40 media stations mainly in Somali capital.
SIMHA Chairman Hassan Ali Gesey has welcomed government move to allow Radio Shabelle back on air after closure.
The station was shut down after it aired a news story containing audio of Al Shabaab Spokesman Sheikh Ali Dere last month.
“We welcome government move to allow Radio Shabelle back on air, it is a gift to the media fraternity especially on World Press Freedom Day,†he said.
“We will cooperate with authorities as far as they respect the media freedom,†he added.
The deputy editor of Radio Shabelle Hassan Wali Abukar who was present at the event has also recognized SIMHA efforts to pressurize the authorities to respect the media freedom.
“Special thanks to the role of SIMHA and its partners to pressurize authorities to allow the station back on air,†he said.
“We still believe in the non-negotiable press freedom which must be respected,†he added.
Somali Independent Media Houses Association is greatly concerned about the comments made by the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency chief Col. Abdurrahman Turyare on media.
Col. Turyare has ordered Somali Journalists to stop using the word “Al Shabaab†while reporting on the group instead of government recently produced name “UGUS†A Somali word which translates to “Somali people destruction group,â€.
He was speaking at World Press Freedom Day event organized by National Union of Somali Journalists ((NUSOJ) in a Mogadishu hotel on Sunday.
