Somalia: Spy Agency pushes for prosecution of veteran VOA journalist

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Almost a month after being labelled a "danger" to national security, it's now clear that renowned journalist Harun Maruf will be prosecuted for alleged links with Al-Shabaab, in a dramatic case that could strain the relationship between the Somali government and the international community.

A reputable journalist par excellence perhaps due to his investigative and educative programs at Voice of America, Maruf will probably face unfamiliar terrains in coming weeks, as Somali regime vowed to have him prosecuted.

For the umpteenth time, spy agency, the National Intelligence Security [Agency], took to it's a Twitter platform to report about the alleged cooperation between Al-Shabaab and Maruf, arguing that he has a case to answer, days after revealing an active probe against him.

"We've concluded the investigations about the misconduct of Maruf and our team has recommended for his prosecution," read the statement, which also indicated that particulars have been forwarded to Attorney General for prosecution.

Although the agency, which is widely viewed as a catalyst for divisions in Somalia, did not dissect the alleged links, it, however, blamed Maruf for undermining the authority by working with "extremist elements" particularly Al-Shabaab.

The most probable charge could be treason, an offence associated with undermining the sovereignty of a legitimate administration. Al-Shabaab has been fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed administration since 2006 without success.

However, the fact that Maruf stays in America, means that his purported prosecution can only take place in his absentia. Somali doesn't have a robust functional judicial system and often relies on military courts for such critical processes.

But even before the commencement of the process, the state has been subjected to scathing attack, with pundits associating Maruf's latest predicaments to traditional suppression of media freedoms in the war-torn nation.

"They have put a case against one of the most credible journalists on Somali issues. This is just a joke. journalism is not a crime. Back of," protested Ayan Mohamoud, a former Somaliland representative to the United Kingdom.

"Your obsession with a reputable journalist Harun Maruf and threatening with extrajudicial goes beyond the pale and is an antithesis to how an intelligence agency should conduct itself. Despicable," added Abdirizak Mohamed, a federal legislator in Somalia.

So divisive and partial is the agency, that pundits have accused it of concentrating on mundane issues instead of executing its mandate without undue influence from the state, whose human rights record is subject to international scrutiny.

Samatalis Haile, a security analyst within the Horn of Africa, says such "reckless" acts manifests Somalia's inability to handle "fundamental" issues pertaining the welfare of the people, adding that Maruf's tribulations are "stage-managed".

"NISA does not have time to report about Shebab shelling the airport to stop international flight, the recent killings of two medical doctors and Police artist in Mogadishu, but it has time to prosecute journalists," he noted.

"These actions only highlight the rising threats against journalists in Somalia. Radio Hiigsi editor, Mohamed Abuuja is held incommunicado by NISA since 7 March," wrote Somali journalists syndicate, a lobby group within the Horn of Africa.

Maruf is a co-author of Inside Al-Shabaab: The Secret History of Al-Qaida's Ally. The book gives a blow by blow account of how the terror group operates. Al-Shabaab has caused havoc across East Africa by mainly targeting security forces and civilians.

But he's best known for his Investigative Dossier programme in VOA, which has fairly exposed bureaucrats within FGS, who are believed to be financiers of the Al-Shabaab. Several defectors have named government mandarins supporting Al-Shabaab activities in the programme, a move that explains his tribulations.

NISA was last week linked to close cooperation with Al-Shabaab in a report submitted within Kenya's security agencies. The team, which works under former Al-Jazeera journalist Fahad Yasin, was accused of sharing intelligence besides funding Al-Shabaab attacks against KDF, a claim is denied.

Early this week, FGS also linked detained journalist Mohamed Abdiwahab Abuuja of engineering "violent" acts, citing a case where a woman was killed within Mogadishu last year on March within the capital's Bondheere district.

"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 on Feb. 27 by agents believed to be working with the controversial NISA which has been associated with several abductions and elimination of civilians critical to President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's administration.

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, two 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.

Journalists within the war-torn nation staged protests last week, calling for support from the international community. The latest dramatic gagging of media could also trigger sanctions against Farmajo's regime, which has for long battled with suppression of human rights.

GAROWE ONLINE