Faysal Waraabe defends himself against an angry Siilaanyo

[HaragWafi85]

I don't have time to dig for his old speeches. However i know that himself and his Kulmiye party use to complain about lack of freedom speech for journalists,mediat etc in UDUBs reign. When Kulmiye came into to power they did the samething they use to complain about arresting dozens of journalists and trying to silence the media. That is what i call double standards.





Journalists continue to be targeted in Somaliland by Kulmiye party



Our most precious right the one that leads directly to freedom Speech and our freedom of the press continue to be targeted by Kulmiy party.
I remember President Ahmed Mohamed Siilanyo and Kulmiye party were running for election 2010, they seemed to be champions for free speech, eager to talk to any media outlet and obviously would not have liked it if the media was banned from talking to them. I remember Sillanyo speeches he sounded to be a very intelligent and open minded man, the kind of a man that you thought would think would bring freedom and hope to his people. It is disappointing, however, to see media freedom deteriorate during his reign as President Ahmed Siilanyo. Kulmiye party in less than a year of their coming to power, the government has silenced reporters, arrested them, beaten them in courts and even closed stations.
There are disturbing developments unfolding in Somaliland the 20 year old democracy birthed in no small way by dissident journalism. Freedom of speech is under threat from an increasingly arrogant and power Pro extremist Kulmiye government which is seeking to silence its media critics.

If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind. Freedom of the press is widely regarded as an essential ingredient to democratic societies, the relationship between the idea of freedom of speech and the practice of press freedom is one that is generally taken for granted. Writers always get criticisms some times painful but always they take it as positive keeping emotions asides.

Free speech brings with it great responsibility, whether the media is television, radio, newspaper, magazines, or blogs and the internet. We take that freedom for granted here in the Somaliland. Some who express their opinions pay the price, imprisonment, or with their lives. Here are just a few examples that came to my attention today.

Record of Assaults on the press freedom in Somaliland

16th August 2010 Khadar Maxamed Aakule (Cakule), Ahmed Siaiid Iige (Cige) and Mohamud Abdi Jamaa (Xuuto) Chairman and editor Waaheen newspaper were beaten up by Current chairman of kulmiye party Muse Bihi Abdi ( Muse Bixi).

18 November 2010, Somaliland senior police and government official attacked Yool newspapers chairman Muhammad Abdi urad (Curad) House without search warrant and was arrested beaten up and released after few hours.

27th Novemver 2010 The editor of Waaheen newspaper, Mr Mohamud Abdi Jama (Xuuto) was arrested and beaten up by police without a cause and released after he spent in jail servile months.

24th January 2011, Judge Ali Sudi Diriye, presiding in a regional court in Hargeisa, found Mohamud Abdi Jama, editor of the private daily Waheen, guilty on charges of defamation and “spreading false news. The judge, who issued the ruling on Saturday, also fined Jama six million shillings (US$900). Diriye denied Jama bail and sent him immediately to Hargeisa Central Prison, defense lawyer Mohamud Osman said he plans to appeal the verdict to the Somaliland’s Supreme Court.

10th of September 2011 officers of Somaliland police Special Protection Unit in the capital, Hargeisa, prevented journalists with the private press from covering the swearing-in ceremony of the new interior minister, Mohamed Nur, local reports said. When reporter Saleban Abdi Ali of the independent weekly Waheen began to protest, officers beat him with the butt of their guns and detained him at the Hargeisa Central Police Station for roughly four hours, local journalists said. Ali sustained light injuries.

05th September 2011, in Burao, Somaliland’s second largest city, police arrested Waheen reporter Ahmed Muse and detained him for a week without charge, local journalists said. Muse’s colleagues said he was arrested because of a story he wrote on a purported dispute between Yasin Mohamed, the Toghdeer region governor, and regional officials in the sports ministry. Police also questioned reporter Mahad Abdullahi on September 5 over a similar report published in Ogaal, a Hargeisa-based weekly, according to local reports. Authorities released Muse on bail from Burao prison on Sunday. Abdullahi was released after several hours.

05th September 2011, police detained Waheen reporter Ali Ismail in Borama town, northern Somaliland, for several hours and released him without charge, local journalists said. Ismail had attempted to investigate reports of the local government physically removing the office doors of businesses who failed pay taxes.

Waheen has been targeted by the government before. In January, Somaliland authorities sentenced Waheen editor Mohamud Abdi Jama without bail for defamation and “spreading false news” in a 2010 story alleging public corruption. Jama was granted a presidential pardon the following month.

Arresting the editor of Waaheen newspaper, Mr Mohamud Abdi Jama (Xuuto) or Beating up Muhammad Abdi Urad (Curad) Chairman Yool newspaper or any other independent media and relying only on the government’s official media will only create suspicion about the government’s actions and will incite the real media watchdogs to sniff around the lies that the media poodles are trying to bury.

Looking at all these actions, I wonder why the educated leaders of Republic of Somaliland who lived in the west and experienced the benefits of media freedom are acting like militia warlords who have more skeletons to hide than truths to share with their people. One thing, however, that Somaliland leaders have to know is that it is not only brutal and thuggish to beat arrest or even ban the media but it is also a bad PR for their image and reputation as a responsible government

Freedom of speech has no meaning if governments and their agencies are above public criticism and being accountable. To be credible, criticisms must be soundly based. This involves journalists investigating the matter, speaking to a range of people, collecting information, cross checking the information, drawing reasonable inferences and forming an experienced view, often within a short space of time. No self respecting journalist or media organisation wants to publish anything that is not soundly based.

In the real world, few can afford to be disclosed as whistleblowers. For most the toll on their lives, careers and family is too great. But off-the-record conversations with journalists, which are not in breach of the law, may lead to a line of inquiry that reveals or confirms the truth. Such sources need to be kept confidential, otherwise they will dry up.

At the end of the day journalists write an article which may be published in part or whole by the media. The article is in the public domain and everyone is able to examine every sentence, every word and every comma. Then, under our freedom of speech, everyone is free to state publicly whether the article is inaccurate, misleading or unfair

The best way that any government can challenge any biased reporting if any is not to gag the media but to be honest and transparent with their people, to tell their side of the story and to invite more diversified media to report about truth on the ground

Kulmiye the reason they succeed the 2010 campaign, Media, there has been a propaganda campaign to convince Somalilandpeople that former President Dahir Riyale Kahin and minister of finance Hussein Ali Duale Government is the cause of all our all corruptions and problems.


Haroon Haji Abubakar
Somalilander social activist and supporter of human right
Sydney, Australia

[Cali_Gaab]

You're going off topic and please don't bring me no source from a habar younis guy who supports ucid.

[hargaysaay]

For the first time faysal is being cool and silaanyo is on rage

[HaragWafi85]

This is has nothing to do with clan but facts on the ground.




Somaliland Journalist Association Condemns Governement

The Somaliland Journalist association (SOLJA) has registered about eight cases against the independent media by the government of Somaliland during the last eight months of this year. This means that every month there was a case against the independent media by the government, in addition to that the government of Somaliland led by KULMIYE party campaigned during the last elections in 2010 that it will consider the independent media, and implement Somaliland’s Press law 27/2004. on contrary the government of Somaliland filed eight cases less than eight months, which means it is more critic to the media than the former ruling party of UDUB. Instead of implementing the Somaliland’s press law the government still using the procedure of the criminal code used by the former government of Somalia.

Also the government of Somaliland is using discrimination in terms of the access of the news, and sometime stops some media houses not to participate the government’s press conferences. For this reason, we are condemning the government’s critics against the independent media. We are also calling the KULMIYE leading government to respect the Somaliland press law, and file the cases against the media must be based to the law.


http://somalilandpress.com/somaliland-j ... ment-23487

[HooBariiska]

I think siilaanyo and kulmiye is wrong here. they shouldnt be involved with other parties and stuff that doesnt concern them, subxanallah just run the country mr president

[Cumar-Labasuul]

I think what silanyo said about udub (warancade and sulub) is normal in politics just look at the UK govt: maalin kasta houses of parliament ayay isku caayaan that's caadi. However his comments about waraabe were not to my liking, why? because they were a personal attack even if faisal said the same you shouldn't stoop to that level.

[Cali_Gaab]

Siciid, you're going way off topic. This has nothing to do with journalists. A sign of desperation on your part if you'd ask me.

Cumar, yes it's personal. Should he have done it, maybe not. Does waraabe deserve it, yes indeed.

He shouldn't have done it only on the basis that waraabe is a failed politician and deserves no attention.

[HaragWafi85]

Cali_Gaab it's still significant as it was one of the main reasons people were supporting them they though the new government would be supportive of freedom speech for media,journalists etc. And now the hypocrisy of Kulmiye has been exposed less than 2 years.

[Cali_Gaab]

That's one negative aspect, what else? Again, this is not about what people supported or journalists.

[HaragWafi85]

It's still on the governments account. Not to mention many other issues and the fact Somalilands security deteriorated since Kulmiye came into power just in the first year. But of course they have also done good things.

[Cali_Gaab]

You are so predictable. You don't even know what your own topic is about

If you really have the urge to talk about Kulmiye i suggest you open a topic for that.

[Goljano Lion]

Faisal wa rageedi Love him or hate him, sowkaa Udaygii ka cadhaysiiyey ee dhiiga ku kiciyey , subxanalah, waar Siilaanyo showed his true ilokayar colors............furkuu tuuray, muxuu yidhi sir banu ka haynaa Siilaanyo
faisalow bal sooda sirta

[Saraxnow]

No way, Im with Siilanyo on this.

First off, UDUB is basically Musuqmasuq party, 8 years of Corruption and eating the tax-payers money: daylight TFG-style mooryanism

Then UCID has been getting dragged in the dirt because of speeches of Sheikh Cali Warabe, who speaks his mind in an excessive manner. Siilanyo said it like it is walahi, he said the people already know you 2 parties, they looked you up and down with a dirty look and said ''get lost!'' and then picked Kulmiye.


I used to like Warabe but he needs to calm down.

[Mr_Alfaas]

Faisal wa rageedi Love him or hate him, sowkaa Udaygii ka cadhaysiiyey ee dhiiga ku kiciyey , subxanalah, waar Siilaanyo showed his true ilokayar colors............furkuu tuuray, muxuu yidhi sir banu ka haynaa Siilaanyo
faisalow bal sooda sirta

sidii ismail faqash o kale odaygu ha is qarxiyo hasoo turo sirta

[Goljano Lion]

Faisal wa rageedi Love him or hate him, sowkaa Udaygii ka cadhaysiiyey ee dhiiga ku kiciyey , subxanalah, waar Siilaanyo showed his true ilokayar colors............furkuu tuuray, muxuu yidhi sir banu ka haynaa Siilaanyo
faisalow bal sooda sirta

sidii ismail faqash o kale odaygu ha is qarxiyo hasoo turo sirta

markaan maqlo ismael faqash waxaan xasuustaa Emperor