Somalia: Ex-president condemns arrest and detention of a journalist in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The arrest of GoobJoog Media editor Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye continues to elicit sharp reactions, with former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud wading to the thorny debate, hours after the editor's incarceration in a Mogadishu prison.

On Wednesday, Mohamud accused the incumbent Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of "acting above board" by "disregarding" the rule of law and constitutionalism in the war-torn nation.

Suppression of media, he noted, would shrink important milestones Somalia has made since the inception of Federal Government of Somalia, whose main intention is to restore democracy and development.

“Threatening and arresting the journalists just to silence them will not help the nascent democracy in our beloved country, Somalia,” said the immediate former president, and now one of the co-founders of Forum for National Parties [FNP].

Gurbiye's arrest and unlawful detention, he added, "is a sign of a dictatorial culture in the making". The editor was arrested on Tuesday when he visited Hodan Police station following summons.

After hours of waiting at the station, authorities informed him that he was under arrest following an arrest warrant delivered by Attorney General on behalf of Villa Somalia, reports indicated.

But the UPD party leader said the country’s leadership should avoid taking the country to a strong man’s era and instead embrace democracy, adding that "Somalia belongs to all" and that "we shall not allow the draconian restrictions against basic rights".

"My advice is the leaders of our nascent democracy to change the course - Protect the voice legitimate freedom of expression. That is good for Somalia and good for their legacy," the former president added.

This is the second time he's reprimanding the FGS for violating basic media freedoms in as many weeks. A fortnight ago, Sheikh Mohamud took a swipe at the government after spy agency NISA linked VOA reporter Harun Maruf to "insecurity" within Somalia.

In a shocking statement, the Fahad Yasin-led team accused Maruf, who is also a renowned author, of "acting beyond his jurisdictions". The agency also threatened to arraign him in court "once investigations are concluded".

After a brief stint at Hodan, Gurbiye was whisked to Mogadishu Central Prison on Wednesday without being put to trial, multiple sources confirmed. No charges are yet to be preferred to him, officials said.

But the preliminary report indicated that the journalist is being hunted for "defiant" Facebook post he made, in which he alleged that COVID-19 ventilators had been sneaked to Villa Somalia. He did not give evidence to back up his assertions.

The Banadir regional court ordered for his incarceration but failed to give reasons as to why he wasn't given a fair hearing. It was expected that he was to be arraigned in court on Wednesday, sources said.

Amnesty International ranked Somalia as the most "difficult" countries for journalists around the globe. In a report dubbed "we live in perpetual fear", the group cited several incidents in which journalists have either been tortured, killed or forced to exile.

Interestingly, the federal government of Somalia and the notorious Al-Shabaab militants are the main perpetrators of violence against journalists. Censorship, the report added, was perpetrated by the current regime.

Also noted was an inappropriate collaboration between Facebook administrators and the spy agency, which conspired to delete or deactivate accounts associated with "radical" journalists, reports emerged.

Sheikh Mohamud handed over to Farmajo in 2017. Somalia is set to hold first-ever universal suffrage polls in December, a move that has seen Mohamud joint hands with his predecessor, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

GAROWE ONLINE