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Radio Shabelle strongly condemns and dismisses bogus report by a Somali website.
Posted: 7/21/2009 1:08:00 AM
Shabelle: SHABELLE-MOGADISHU
Shabelle Media Network strongly and uncompromisingly condemns and dismisses a false, fabricated and unbelievable reporting by a known disgraced Somali website, accusing the seasoned and respected Somali journalist and media activist Mr. Omar Faruk Osman, secretary general of National Union of Somali Journalists of being behind the murder of our renowned director Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe.
“This is a shocking and inconceivable report and we strongly and clearly dismiss and condemn it in the strongest terms possible. NUSOJ and its secretary general are the only people, we have now remaining, to advocate and defend the rights and safety of Somali journalist. We term this report by unworthy, known and scandalous Waagacusub website and the so-called ASOJ as callous, outrageous, unacceptable piece and a ploy by the same person to hoodwink the public and to perpetuate impunity in Somalia.
We are well aware that the author of this website and this kind of information has strong links with criminals and would only want to deflect responsibility and justice,” says the executive board of Shabelle Media network.
Shabelle calls on Waagacusub to backtrack and to stop its brainless and shocking tact by linking its perceived enemies to heinous crimes like that of killing journalists in Somalia in order to gain favour with criminals and other extremist groups. This is criminal in its worst degree as we are still mourning the death of our director, Mr. Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe.
The network is also calling on all humanitarian, media organizations, governments, and advocacy groups to rally their voices together to bring to an end the publication of such malicious website owned by a well-known scandal-infested personality who claims to be a Somali journalist.
Shabelle has lost four of its journalists since late 2007 and the network knows and has gathered concrete evidence pointing to the identities of the perpetrators of those brutal killing of our journalists, NUSOJ officials and other international media personalities who have lost their lives in Somalia.
We take this opportunity to thank all those advocacy organizations, groups and individuals who consoled Shabelle Media Network following its tragic loss of its director and its other journalists.
We repeat, without fear of contradiction that this outrageous and unethical allegation is a great insult to the National Union of Somali journalists, which is well-known for its relentless efforts in fighting and defending the rights and freedom of speech and the safety of Somali journalists.
