PM’s office threatening and bribing journalists-NUSOJ

The current government is one of the most intolerant to the media in the country’s history, the journalists union NUSOJ has said accusing Prime Minister Hassan Khaire’s administration of threatening journalist who don’t toe the line while putting others on monthly payroll to silence them.

Addressing the media in Mogadishu Monday, National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) Secretary General Mohamed Moalimu said the government was using all means within its powers to suppress journalists citing instances where some journalists were threatened by the office of the Prime Minister.

“The current government of Prime Minister Hassan Khaire is the most intolerant for journalists. They do not care about the welfare of journalists. On 15^th of this month, one journalist, Mufti Mumin was threatened by the Prime Minister’s office and yet that was not investigated,” said Moalimu. “Another journalist was shot dead in Hamar Jajab by a police officer and nothing happened.”

Moalimu also noted another journalist, Nur Ismael Sheihk was arrested November 20 and has not been prosecuted yet.

The journalists’ leader said the government was continuously seeking to silence journalists and dividing them to ensure they do not report anything or hold the government accountable.

“There are two ways in which the government is now working to deal with journalists,” said Moalimu. “One is to censor them while the other is by bribing journalists and media houses.”