The Somali Journalist Rights Agency (SOJRA) would like to publicize her emotion for the journalist expulsion by the Islamic radical militia of Alshabab in Kismayo town of lower Jubba region in Southern Somalia.

A journalist Mohamed Salad Abdulle, who worked for radio Somaliweyn based in Mogadishu and a long with another two radios stations as reporter from Kismayo town.

An amorphous court by Alshabab was sentenced to his expulsion while they were acused him reporting illegal stories inside the region. Mr. Salad was in jail a few days and today the radical Islamist group of Alshabab was sentenced him to expel.

The Somalia based south and Central Journalists Association (SOCJA) is to day expressing deep concern over journalist expulsion by Alshabaab group in Kismayo the Southern Somalia.

“Abdule’ expulsion come in time of senior Alashabaab official has been killed in the town and also media violations go on the raise and frequently sophisticated” SOCJA said.

Finally, SOJRA calls for the international community to condemn this barbarian action from the only Somalia press Freedom Predators group.

 The Somali Journalists Rights Agency (SOJRA) urges the United Nations, United States, European Union, Arab League, and African Union to take urgent action in order to improve the safety of Somali journalists who fled from Somalia especially south and central Somalia and those who are currently inside in Somalia.

 All the sides who are struggling the policy of Somalia experienced the worst press freedom violations and with journalists facing attacks, harassments, intimidations and arrests these acts caused to fleeing the country more than 70 journalists who are currently live in Uganda, Kenya and Djibouti as exile status.

 In Somalia there is no any administration to pursue prompt and trustable investigations into the attacks against the Somali media, including the nine (9) murder actions since January 2007 and the last two (2) murder cases in this year.

 “We call The U.S. government, United Nations, African Union and European Union as well as Arab League and others wielding influence with Somalia’s transitional government and the government of Ethiopia must press them to ensure that all parties to the conflict respect both the physical integrity of reporters and their freedom to report,” said Daud Abdi Daud SOJRA’s Secretary General .

 Background information 
 

Ongoing human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict — TFG and Ethiopian forces, and non-governmental armed groups — in Somalia include attacks, killing , rape, beatings, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention, torture and indiscriminate attacks on Somali journalists.

 Some of ten (10) have been killed in South and Central Somalia in 2007 up to this year , and more than seventy (70) journalists fled the  violence in the country.

 Attacks on the media in Somalia mark a reversal in the development of freedom of expression in the country. In 2005 and 2006, new radio and television stations, newspapers and websites opened and news coverage and affiliation had begun to extend beyond clan and warlord loyalties.