By NNN-Somalinet
Mogadishu : The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is concerned over the safety of journalists as fresh wave of attacks against journalists happened since the year started following journalist Mohammed Shidane Daban arrest on Friday.
He was detained at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport by security forces of the Transitional Federal Government.
Mohammed Shidane, who works for private-owned Banadir Radio, wanted to fly from the airport and all his documents and baggage were taken away by the security forces. He is being detained in unidentified place.
A day earlier (Thursday), journalist Mohammed Bashir Hashi was injured in Wardhigley district of Mogadishu during a firefight between Government forces and Insurgents in the district.
The journalist was recording voices of people fleeing from the area and the sound of gunshots when an armed man fired towards the journalist, injuring him at the shoulder and the left hand.
“We condemn the act that wounded colleague Mohammed Bashir Hashi and wish him immediate improvement” Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. “Fighting sides must not target journalists and they must know that they have an obligation to protect civilians including journalists”.
“We demand immediate and unconditional release of Mohammed Shidane Daban, as we believe that his detention is fairly related to his journalistic work” said Omar Faruk Osman.
Meanwhile, Somali’s interim prime minister Nor Hassan Hussein known as ‘Nor Adde’ has appointed 15 of 18 ministers on Friday – as the violence in the war torn country deepened with daily attacks and bombings.
Speaking in parliament in Biadoa, southwest of the Somalia capital, Mr. Nor said he will soon appoint the remaining three ministers to fill the cabinet.
Some of the key ministers were picked up from outside of the parliament.
Among the remarkable appointees was Ahmed Abdisalan, the owner of HornAfrik Media, one of the leading broadcaster in Mogadishu.
Mr. Abdisalan, currently in Nairobi, from Ayr sub-clan of Hawiye, is among few secular politicians who has a good relationship with the Ethiopia but his clan opposes Somalia government and its Ethiopia ally.
Abdiaziz Hassan, a Somali journalist who is now exile in Nairobi says his nomination as minister of information will bring a new change to the Somalia media community.
“I do believe if Ahmed Abdisalan takes over the ministry of information, the situation of the media in Somalia, which had suffered so much last year will improve and it will show total exercise of media laws as long as he is former boss of private media house,” said Hassan adding “but this has double impact”
He said it will give another impression to the insurgents who will re-examine HornAfrik and think that the station is pro-government.
In another development, 12 people were killed and 10 others wounded in armed confrontation between rival militias in Adado town of Galgadud region in central Somalia, sources say on Friday.
The latest fighting broke out when the local authority troops attacked a roadblock by free lance militia group near the town. Among the dead was a woman after a mortar shell hit her house.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the local authority in Mogadishu Abdulahi Shaashaa said the government troops stationed near Bakara market in the capital were attacked two times by the insurgent groups.