Somaliland: Front Line welcomes human rights defenders release

Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, released from Mandera jail

Yusuf Abdi Gabode, the editor- in -chief and Ali Abdi Dini, the editor of Haatuf Media Network detained in Mandera jail for allegedly insulting the President of Somaliland and his wife have been released following a visit to the prison by an international delegation, including the head of the European Union for Africa on 29 March 2007.

Armed police stormed the headquarters of Haatuf Media Network, in Hargeisa city, Somaliland on 2 January and arrested the Editor-in-Chief, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and the Editor, Ali Abdi Dini. About forty police officers in uniforms and in plain clothes, armed with both side arms and AK 47 guns forcefully entered the building and ransacked the premises, beating up anybody who asked for an explanation or proper documentation and finally dragging both men from the building.

The Somaliland network for civil society organizations in a statement, said: “It was deeply disturbed by the growing intimidation, manhandling and incarceration of news people, as well as the blatant destruction and vandalism on media properties now carried out so openly by the Somaliland government security organs without the least regard to the national constitution and other moderating laws of the Republic of Somaliland.”

The Haatuf Media Network was established in Somaliland in November 2001 by a group of journalists who wanted a different level of engagement with journalism as they felt “deprived of an institution that would enable them to practice their profession with dignity and editorial independence.” The network publishes a number of newspapers, including the Somali language daily newspaper, Haatuf, the weekly English newspaper, Somaliland Times and the Arabic weekly, Al-Haatuf Al-Arabi.

Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, but has not been internationally recognized. It has maintained relative peace and stability while southern Somalia has sunk further into violence and chaos.