NUSOJ Appalled by the Continued Arbitrary Arrests of Journalists by Somaliland Police in Somaliland's disputed Regions

MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 20, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the continued arbitrary arrests and hunt for journalists following the arrest of TV journalists and NUSOJ Executive committee member in the town of Laas-Anod in Sool region.

Somaliland police arrested Mohamed Shaqale, a correspondent for the Somalisat television, who is also member of the executive committee of the National Union of Somali journalists (NUSOJ), in the town of Laas-Anod, the regional headquarters of Sool region on Thursday 19

April, 2012, around 8:00am Shaqale is still in detention.

Somaliland authorities did not comment on the arrest, but NUSOJ believes that it is part of Somaliland administrations' crack down for independent the media, following the announcement of Khatumo State, an independent state of Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn, which declared independent from Somaliland regions, in January, which Somaliland authorities arrested dozens of journalists and silenced media stations that covered that conference.

“We are appalled by the continued manhunt for journalists who covered the Khatumo 2 conference by the Somaliland police and it is an act to suppress the freedom of expression and follow of information in the regions under their control.” Burhaan Daahir, NUSOJ Supreme Council president said, “We call for the Somaliland administration to immediately release Mr. Shaqale and stop the continued harassment, intimidation, arrests against the journalists aimed at silencing the journalists.”

Last Wednesday, two journalists; Ahmed Ali Farah of Royal Television and Abdisamad keyse, freelance journalist, were released from jail, after spending for more than two weeks in jail.