Two more radio stations off air

MOGADISHU – Somali government forces yesterday ordered two radio stations off air and vowed to crackdown on independent media groups exaggerating the security situation in the capital, said officials.

The military ordered Radio Simba and Radio Banadir, both based in the lawless Mogadishu, to immediately stop broadcasting, a day after it shut Radio Shabelle. Abdullahi Atosh, the director of Radio Simba, said: “The Somali government security officers have told us to stop broadcasting today.”Hassan Ali, a staff member of Radio Benadir, said: “We do know the reason why the government ordered us to close our radio.”The order came as columns of Ethiopian and Somali forces patrolled the volatile Bakara market, a day after carrying out a door-to-door search for weapons.A government security official said all media groups that mislead the public would be shut.The official, who requested to remain unnamed, said: “We want to stop all radio station that exaggerate the (security) situation in Somalia.”Rights panels had called for protection for journalists in Somalia, where eight had been killed this year alone.More than a dozen had been arrested and five others had been ambushed and robbed.According to CPJ, so far this year, Somalia ranked as the second deadliest country worldwide after Iraq for journalists.The Somali government had defied numerous international calls to relax its heavy-handed clampdown on press freedom, which had been choked by the conflict.Bloody clan bickering and power struggles that intensified after 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre had scuppered many bids to stabilise Somalia.Nampa-AFPAbdullahi Atosh, the director of Radio Simba, said: “The Somali government security officers have told us to stop broadcasting today.”Hassan Ali, a staff member of Radio Benadir, said: “We do know the reason why the government ordered us to close our radio.”The order came as columns of Ethiopian and Somali forces patrolled the volatile Bakara market, a day after carrying out a door-to-door search for weapons.A government security official said all media groups that mislead the public would be shut.The official, who requested to remain unnamed, said: “We want to stop all radio station that exaggerate the (security) situation in Somalia.”Rights panels had called for protection for journalists in Somalia, where eight had been killed this year alone.More than a dozen had been arrested and five others had been ambushed and robbed.According to CPJ, so far this year, Somalia ranked as the second deadliest country worldwide after Iraq for journalists.The Somali government had defied numerous international calls to relax its heavy-handed clampdown on press freedom, which had been choked by the conflict.Bloody clan bickering and power struggles that intensified after 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre had scuppered many bids to stabilise Somalia.Nampa-AFP