The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) views with consternation and indignation the Hibin and Heb administration’s decision to shut down a private radio station in Adado, a town in Somalia’s Galgudud region.
Al-Ihsan Radio was shut down on 2 March, after armed men from the administration delivered a handwritten letter signed by Mohamed Adan, head of the Hibin and Heb administration, ordering the station to shut down.
Al-Ihsan Radio reportedly broadcast programmes about pirates, alleged corruption and mismanagement within the administration. Its programs also addressed alleged misuse of Adado hospital equipment and operations carried out by the administration against pirates, according to the radio station’s management. But the Hibin and Heb administration blamed the radio station for compromising peace in the town and spreading inaccurate and unacceptable information, contrary to the policy of the administration.
“We condemn this disruptive and inexplicable act which is nothing short of an attempt to suppress media freedom in the region and demand that Al-Ihsan Radio be allowed to resume broadcasting immediately.”
Al-Ihsan Radio has been operating in Adado for nearly two years. It mostly broadcasts religious programmes, but it also airs news and information. It is the first radio station established in Adado.