Somalia: FGS links detained journalist to Al-Shabaab, blames him for murder

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A Somali journalist who has been under detention in Mogadishu played a role in the death of a civilian, Somalia's Government has said on Wednesday, linking him to Al-Shabaab.

Mohamed Abdiwahab Abuuja was first arrested by intelligence agency on February 27 this year but he is yet to be arraigned in court, triggering massive protests from among journalists in Somalia.

But in an interesting twist, FGS on Wednesday accused the reporter of engineering "violent" acts, citing a case where a woman was killed within Mogadishu's Bondhere district last year.

"The suspect has been engaging in violent acts leading to deaths, including that of a woman in March 2019. He's a sworn member of Al-Shabaab militants," the government said through state-owned SONNA.

Abuuja was arrested by spy agents believed to be working with the controversial National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA], which has been associated with several abductions and elimination of civilians critical to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's administration.

For the better part of Saturday, dozens of journalists thronged into the streets of Mogadishu to push for his release, carrying placards condemning FGS attitude against journalists. Videos captured showed his wife uncontrollably weeping during the mass demonstrations.

A group of media activists started collecting signatures in a petition for the journalist's release, which will be deposited in the office of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.

A fortnight ago, Farmajo used his presidential decree to pardon 148 prisoners, due to coronavirus pandemic. Surprisingly, the journalist was not among them, despite the fact that he's never been convicted.

The move was in line with precautionary measures to decongest the country's crowded prisons. So far, the country has recorded 284 positive cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths, the health department said.

The petition has gained momentum on social media forums, with hundreds of people accusing Farmajo of perpetuating "impunity" in total disregard of the law. Villa Somalia is yet to respond to the damning allegations.

But the latest declaration by government dwindles hopes, if any, of securing the reporter's freedom. Despite linking him to Al-Shabaab, authorities did not indicate any specific date to have him presented before the court.

NISA, which is run by Fahad Yasin, a former Al-Jazeera journalist, is synonymous with controversy. For instance, a report published by Garowe Online, showed its unscrupulous deals with Al-Shabaab, in a bid to undermine KDF troops in Somalia.

The spy agency, the report indicated, has been supplying Al-Shabaab militants with intelligence besides financing their activities against KDF troops. Kenya has dispatched close to 3,000 troops in Somalia according to AMISOM statistics.

Somalia is one of the most difficult countries for one to work as a journalist around the world. In a report published by Amnesty International dubbed "we live in perpetual fear", both FGS and Al-Shabaab were linked to harassment, torture, arrests, and execution of reporters.

NISA, the report added, collaborates with Facebook administrators to delete accounts associated with "radical" reporters with an aim to silence them. Also, the agency trails abduct and detain those who don't toe to its demands. Some are killed, it added.

For instance, journalists; Mukhtaar Mohamed Atoosh and Abdiaziz Ahmed Gurbiye were arrested within a span of one week a few days ago. The former is accused of publishing a rape case in Baidoa while the latter facing charges against alleged undermining the president on a Facebook post.

The reporter becomes the second to be accused of working with the militants within one month. Early this month, NISA also linked VOA reporter Harun Maruf with the terror group. The claims, however, backlashed on social media as Somalis accused the agency of "recklessness".

GAROWE ONLINE