SOMALIA - JOURNALISTS STOP WORK TO PROTEST LACK OF

UNCLAS NAIROBI 001160 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM KPAO SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA - JOURNALISTS STOP WORK TO PROTEST LACK OF SAFETY REF: NAIROBI 1133 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Twenty Somali journalists in Mogadishu have stopped working to protest the continuously deteriorating security situation for media practitioners in Somalia, especially in the capital. They announced the suspension on June 9, two days after the murder of Radio Shabelle Director Mukhtar Hirabe (reftel). Hirabe was the fifth journalists killed this year in Somalia, considered by some to be second only to Iraq in terms of dangerous environments for journalists. End summary. -------------- Work Stoppage to Protest Violence -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Two days after the June 7 murder of Radio Shabelle Director Mukhtar Hirabe (reftel),Somali journalists in Mogadishu announced a suspension of work to protest the continuously deteriorating security situation for media practitioners in Somalia. Hirabe was the fifth Somali journalist to be killed in Somalia this year. Many other journalists have been arrested, injured, or harassed, and several stations have been subject to closure. The work suspension was announced at a press conference at a Mogadishu Hotel. Stations affected by the journalists' work stoppage include Shabelle, Universal TV, HornAfrik and Radio Simba. All of these stations are among those with whom Post works on our outreach, and with whom the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) works. Our contacts indicate that the twenty are mostly senior journalists who work out of the offices in Mogadishu, rather than reporters "in the field." ¶3. (SBU) Abdirahman Yusuf, news editor for Radio Shabelle, said the decision to stop working was made after "acts of killing, kidnap and intimidation against journalists" have increased in recent months. The journalists noted that they are unable to determine with certainty who is behind the various actions, particularly Hirabe's apparent assassination, noting that extremist groups blame each other for the dangers the journalists face. We are told that the twenty journalists have not set an end date for their stoppage. In addition to the twenty who have announced a presumably temporary work stoppage, we are told there is another cadre of journalists who decided to give up the profession, either finding new work in Mogadishu or attempting to leave the city altogether. RANNEBERGER