The Voice Of Somaliland: Press Release

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Press Release

(Waridaad)

Somaliland Journalists Association

We hereby inform your esteemed institution that there is a draft prepared by the government of Somaliland, which it intends to table it in parliament as a new media law. The preparation of the draft, which was mentioned by local media, had no media involvement and at the same time it is contrary to the freedom of expression in most parts.

The Somaliland Journalists Association chairman, Mr. Mustafe Abdi Esse accompanied by other top officials from SOLJA, met the minister of information in regard to the issue. The minister stated that the draft was still raw and has not been forwarded to the lawmakers yet.

We hereby inform you to make sure that you are informed on the matter though it has not been brought to parliament yet.

The Somaliland media reported that the draft has been forwarded to parliament. The draft contains articles such as:

Any media house or other publications can be suspended by orders from the minister of information or his assistant, if they have been published against the new law and it can cost the media house to loose all its assets to the government with consultation with the court of law.

The media house has the right to appeal and sake compensation if the court of appeal deems it legal. (Article 102 of the draft)

If the editor refuses to take an article from the public, the citizen would appeal to the minister who would then order the editor to publish the article. (article 46)

Local and foreign journalists would only travel to other parts of the country with the consent of the minister.(article 26)

Local media houses cannot seek aid from anybody who is not a Somaliland citizen. (Article 51 and 52)

The draft consist of 120 such articles and SOLJA would no accept or tolerate anything that it deems contrary to the freedom of expression or which would jeopardize or threaten the Somaliland journalists daily work in any way.

We are optimistic that the Somaliland government would not make such a move and that we hope that the government will invite the media body if there is any changes it wants to make to the existing media law, which was drafted with the involvement of SOLJA as per agreement between the President, the minister and SOLJA recently.

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The New Somaliland Press & Publications Bill 2007

The Somaliland Government has recently sent to the House of Representatives a new Bill on press and publications. The provisions of this bill (based almost entirely on the Yemen Law No: 25 of 1990 on the Press & Publications) run contrary to international norms relating to freedom of expression and the independence of the press and are not in line with the Somaliland constitution.
The considerable powers given to the Minister of Information (and other ministers) include even deciding on appeals from anyone whose writings have been turned down for publication by a newspaper’s editor (Article 46). These ministerial powers over the press and publishers/printers/distributors etc, the compulsory registration of all press and publication activities, including the practice of the profession of journalism, and the extensive criminal sanctions which add to the existing array of criminal offences in the 1962 Somali Penal Code contrast sharply with the current Somaliland Press Law (2004), which contains no criminal sanctions and is based on codes of conduct. Unfortunately the Somaliland Government has repeatedly made clear its dissatisfaction with the current press Law and has used the Penal Code and extra-judicial powers to detain and imprison journalists. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Somaliland Government is not putting forward amendments of the current Press Law, but is now proposing its wholesale replacement by this new Bill which introduces considerable criminal sanctions, such as fines and imprisonment (Article 99) for the infringement of its numerous provisions, as well as prohibition of continued practice of journalism or publication or even circulation of printed materials; confiscation of property, including printing presses (Article 101) and seizure of printed materials (Article 102)..........Full Text

The Isaq Somali Diaspora And‎ Poll-Tax Agitation In Kenya, 1936-41‎

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The "Letter-of-Death" by General "Morgan" January 23, 1987

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The report is addressed to the President of the SDR, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Interior. The latter, Major-General Ahmed Suleiman Abdalla, is also a son-in-law of the President, and Third Deputy Prime Minister. Since President Barre is also the Minister of Defence -- the previous holder of that portfolio, General Mohamed Ali Samatar, having been promoted Prime Minister on January 30, 1987 -- the report is seemingly confined to family members. This would explain its extreme frankness in specifying certain clans as targets for implemented and recommended punitive action.
The target is the Isaaq Clan Family. The term "clan family" was first coined by Professor I.M. Lewis, Professor Social Anthropology at the London School Economics, to describe the collective name for each of the several major divisions to which Somali clans traditionally divide themselves. The Isaaq clan family sub-divides into four main clans.
Top Secret.......Read the rest