ICU favour in Burco

[Sophist]

Somalia: Newspaper Critical of Islamic Courts is Publicly Burned in Somaliland's Second City

 

 

Reporters Without Borders has voiced concern that an angry crowd in Buro, the second largest city in the northern breakaway territory of Somaliland, burned more than a thousand copies of the independent daily "Haatuf" on 13 October 2006 on the grounds that it criticises the Mogadishu-based Islamic courts.

 

"Newspaper-burning is serious and should be condemned by all those who claim to be the guarantors of peace in Somalia," the press freedom organisation said. "The Somaliland authorities must take steps to identify and punish those behind this public outrage. And those who incited this mob should realise it is an unacceptable and dangerous thing to do. Criticism is an inalienable right that you suppress to your own cost."

 

Around 100 people took part in the public newspaper-burning in protest against "Haatuf"'s reports criticising the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which has controlled Mogadishu and two thirds of Somalia's provinces since the summer. Somaliland has had de facto independence from the rest of Somalia since 1991.

 

The Reporters Without Borders local partner organisation, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), quoted Somaliland-based journalists as saying the crowd had gathered in response to calls from local religious leaders linked to the UIC.

 

The NUSOJ said "Haatuf" had received several anonymous calls threatening to set fire to its office in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital. "Haatuf" - one of the most widely-circulated newspapers in all parts of Somalia - reacted by publishing the text of the threatening calls along with the phone numbers from where they had been made.

 

NUSOJ secretary-general Omar Faruk Osman told Reporters Without Borders: "This is a first in Somalia's history. Never before has a newspaper been publicly burned anywhere in our country."

[Sophist]

Haatuf:

 

Kooxo Ku Xidhan Maxkamadaha Xamar Oo Dhaq-Dhaqaaqyo

Xoogan Ka Wada Magaalada Burco Iyo Agagaarkeeda

 

Ujeedada Dhaq-Dhaqaaqyadan Ayaa La Rumaysan Yahay Inay Ku Doonayaan Sidii Ay Ula Wareegi Lahaayeen Maamulka Gobolka Togdheer

 

Burco, September 10, 2006 (Haatuf) – Waxa dhawrkii ayaamood ee u dambeeyey laga dareemay magaalada Burco iyo agagaarkeeda dhaq-dhaqaaqyo xooggan oo ay ka wadaan kooxo ku xidhan maxkamadaha Xamar, iyada oo ciidamada amaanka ee gobolka Togdheer ay shalay tageen meel jeex-jeexyo ah oo u dhaxaysa Yirowe iyo Beer oo dhinaca Koonfur bari ee wadada laamida ah oo Burco u jirto 22km.

 

Sida uu ku soo waramay weriyaha Haatuf ee gobolka Togdheer Axmed Aadan Yuusuf, waxa halkaasi laga helay ilaa shan boqol oo qasharka rasaasta qoriga BKM-ka loo yaqaano ah iyo calaamado ah kuwa lagu toog barto, iyada oo la sheegay in beryahanba lala socday hawlaha ay kooxahaasi halkaasi ka wadaan, balse aanay waxba iskaga tirinayn ciidamada amaanka gobolka.

 

Warkan tababarka ay kooxdani halkaasi ku samaynaysay waxa soo sheegay dadka reer miyiga ah ee ka ag-dhaw dhaw deegaamadaasi, waxaanay sheegeen inay dhawrkii todobaad ee ina dhaafay kooxdani halkaasi ka waday gooli baadh iyo tababaro kala duwan.

Waxa kale oo ay wararku intaasi ku darayaan in muddadii ay kooxdan halkaasi tababarka ka wadeen ay u shaqaynayeen ilaa saddex gaadhi oo ah nooca loo yaqaano Landcruiser-ka, kuwaasi oo dhawr jeer u tagay intii ay kooxdaasi oo tiradooda lagu qiyaasay ilaa 70 xubnood ay tababarada ku samaynayeen halkaasi, iyada oo ay gaadiidkaasi saarnaayeen niman dablay ahi.

 

Inkasta oo ay gaadiidkan iyo kooxahan ku xidhan maxkamadaha Xamar-ba ay soo galeen magaalada Burco markii ay soo dhamaysteen hawlahoodii, lana garanayo, haddana ma jiraan ilaa hadda wax laga xidhay, balse masuuliyiinta maamulka gobolka iyo magaalada Burco ayaa ilaa xalay shirar la xidhiidha xaalada cusub ee soo korodhay ku lahaa magaaladaasi, waxaana la filayaa inay maanta iskugu yeedhaan hogaamiyayaasha dhaqanka iyo diinta ee gobolkaasi si ay ugala hadlaan xaalada nabadgelyada gobolka iyo sidii looga hortagi lahaa khatarta ka iman karta kooxahaniba.

 

Kooxdan ayaa la sheegay in aanu tababarkan ay samaynayaan ku koobnayn oo keliya halkaasi ay shalay booqdeen ciidamada amaanku, balse ay afarta jiho ee magaaladaba ay tababaro kala duwan ku samaynayeen, iyada oo la sheegay in ujeedada ay tababarada ka leeyihiin tahay sidii ay ula wareegi lahaayeen maamulka gobolka Togdheer iyo magaalada Burco-ba.

 

Waxa kale oo la ogyahay inay beryahanba jireen gaadiid kala duwan oo Xamar qabta, haddana ku soo noqda magaalada Burco, kuwaasi oo qayb ka ah xidhiidho ay kooxahan maxkamadaha taageersani ku doonayaan inay iyaguna gacanta ku dhigaan maamulka gobolada bari ee Somaliland, iyaga oo tun jileecsanaya maamulka dawliga ah ee ka jira deegaamadaasi.

 

Magaalada Burco ayaa la rumaysan yahay inay xarun u tahay kooxo wadaado ah oo taageersan maxkamadaha Muqdisho, oo doonaya inay goor ay noqotaba mar uun isku miidaamiyaan sidii ay ula wareegi lahaayeen awooda maamulka gobolkaasi qiimahay doontaba ha ugu kacdee.

 

Inkasta oo la filayo inay maamulka gobolka iyo magaalada Burco maanta iskugu yeedhaan hogaamiyayaasha dhaqanka iyo diinta ee gobolka Togdheer, si looga wada tashado arrintani, haddana waxa la rumaysan yahay, haddii aanay xukuumaddu talaabo adag ka qaadin kooxahani, inay taasi horseedi karto inay hanqalka la soo kacaan, boqolaal kale oo qaybaha kale ee wadanka ku sugan oo hadda is-nabayaa.