NASSIR Posted July 10, 2005 To: Mr. Mark Thompson Director BBC World Service Bush House London From: Former Announcers BBC Somali Service Date: June 20005 Dear Mr. Thompson We the undersigned are former staff members of the BBC Somali Section who served at different times, from the early years of the Service in the 1960s to the new millennium. We belong to different age groups and come from different clans and from all regions of Somalia . If the present-day realities of strife-torn Somalia are anything to go by, such background differences as exist amongst us would ensure lack of commonality and no meeting of minds. Happily, that is not the case with us. What brings us together above all is what binds us together: our common, shared BBC experience, in particular our loyal association with the Somali Service and our determination to raise our voice in its defence whenever its integrity and reputation are on the line. Sadly, such is the situation now. The BBC Somali Service has been until recently the paragon among Somali broadcasting stations inside and outside Somalia . Its high standards, built over a period close to half a century, have been true to the BBC's well-known reputation for impartiality, fairness and objectivity. Unfortunately, that reputation has been dealt major blows since Mr. Yussuf Garad Omar was appointed as head/editor of the Somali Service. Needless to say, complaints among listeners that we had come to know from different sources in our different ways are pervasive and are in our view well-grounded. We believe that these complaints could be dealt with sufficiently and satisfactorily by your complaints Department. For the purpose of this letter, we would like to focus on two areas that are core to most complaints raised, including ours. The first concerns the staff of the Service and the second the quality of the programmes in terms of impartiality and fairness. Regarding the staff, Mr. Yussuf Garaad Omar, on taking charge of the Somali Section, is considered by almost all the announcers at the time and ourselves to have masterminded the termination of the services of more than half of the announcers based at Bush House-highly qualified men and women who were very popular with listeners- only to replace them with inexperienced novices almost all from his clan. He also recruited correspondents/stringers inside and outside Somalia-again almost all of them from his clan. Taken together, these actions are seen by most listeners as patently both clan substitution and clan nepotism. We are aware that this action has been sanctioned by the management of the BBC % ly we would like to believe) but the Service has yet to recover from the ing damage done to its reputation in this regard. As for the programmes, the BBC Somali Service, under Mr. Yussuf Garaad Omar' supervision, has been turned into a platform that would support his favoured political and clan factions against others in the struggle for power and resources in Somalia . Numerous cases of bias in this respect can be cited but one glaring example is the different treatments given to the elections of former President Abdulqasim Salaad Hassan and the recently elected President Abdullahi Yussuf Ahmed. When the former, a relative of Mr. Yussuf Garaad Omar, was elected president in 2000 at a Somali peace conference organized by the government of Djibouti , he was given full supportive coverage by the BBC Somali Service, support which still continues. When, on the other hand, Mr. Abdullahi Yussuf , who is from another clan, was elected President in the Nairobi Somali peace conference, only scant and mainly negative coverage was granted to him and his government. Instead, his opponents-a group consisting of warlords, dissident MPs and Ministers almost all from Yussuf Garaad's clan- were given generous publicity. This is the group who destroyed the capital Mogadishu and Southern Somalia for the last 14 years and who are still united to keep it that way. Most Somalis would like them to be tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity like other warlords in Africa and the Balkans. In giving lop-sided supportive publicity to the warlords and their associates, Mr Yussuf Garaad Omar has again done another major damage to the reputation of the Services. In the eyes of the Somali listeners, the BBC is seen to have clearly condoned Mr. Garaad biased actions entailing his support to his political favourites. What we are advocating ourselves is not uncritical support for one side or the other but the maintenance of the BBC's well known principles of impartiality and even-handedness. As we have mentioned earlier in this letter, these observations we have mentioned are only selected spotlights on an overall malaise that has been inflicted on the BBC Somali Service. What saddens us most is that this problem has been allowed to build over some years with apparently no action(s) taken by the BBC to redress it despite countless complaints by listeners. We ourselves are aware that many listeners had complained to the former Head of the African Service, Ms. Kari Blackburn, without receiving any response let alone any action taken to address their concerns. It is for this reason that we, the former staff members of the Somali Service, have come together to raise this matter with you. In this regard, we appeal to you to look into the running of the Somali Service and save it from those who may willy-nilly ruin it. The BBC Somali Service after all is the most cherished heritage that the British had left the Somalis for all the hundred years of its colonial rule. Please accept, Sir, the assurances of our highest considerations 1 Mohamed Abshir Yussuf Staff member from 1961-66 Nairobi , Kenya 2 Osman Hassan BBC Somali Service 1962 -1977 United Nations 1977-2004 Geneva , Switzerland 3 Osman Suguleh BBC Staff member 1965-1981 London 4 Idris Hassan Deria Staff member 1969-1995 London 5 Sulemaan Dahir Staff member 1970-1976 Hargeisa , Somaliland , Somalia 6 Said Farah Mohamoud Staff member 1977- 2000 London 7 Mohamoud Hassan 1976-2000 London 8 Mohamoud Abdi Ali Dualeh Staff member 1984-2000 London 9 Shamsa Abdullahi Ahmed Until 2000 London 10 Mustafa Abdi Hussein “ Shafi †Until 2000 London 11 Mohamed Omar Ahmed “Hydra†Until 2000 London 12 Suleiman Hussein Barkhadle Until 2000 13 Mohamed Hamud Sheikh Until 2000 14 Jawahir Suleman Elmi Until 2000 London 15 Abdullahi Hassan Fadal Until 2000 16 Mohamed Ali Mohamed London (All signatures are attached with the original letter sent to the BBC World Service)° CC: Mr. Jerry Timmins Head, Middle East and African Services BBC S World Service Bush House Source: WardheerNews Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baashi Posted July 11, 2005 Axem! The other side of the coin ... Check it out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Animal Farm Posted July 11, 2005 I came across a similar letter no too long ago accusing the BBC of airwave terrorism and warmongering propaganda. I have looked into the issue more, and it seems to me that a lot of people have similar opinions in regards to Been Been C [LOL @ Haddad] Instead of writing letters, the activists of this cause should look into gaining support from media watch organizations in order strengthened their claims. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duufaan Posted July 13, 2005 "Yuusuf Garaad wuxuu hada ku dhex jiraa diyaarinta shahaado kale oo Master ah isagoo dhigta jaamicad Mareykan ah oo ku taalla Boston. Ali Geedi wuxuu yiri Yuusuf Garaad dad buu garab ku keenay BBC. Hadaba waxaa arin lala yaabo ah oo akhristayaal badan fajac gelinaya in dadka ka shaqeeya laanta Af Soomaaliga ee BBC wax haysta shahaado jaamacadeed inay ka jiraan Yuusuf Garaad, Maxamed Maxamuud Cade, Cathy Ciise iyo Yuusuf Xasan. Rumeyso ama ha rumeysan in afartooduba ay yihiin reer Dhuusamareeb. Time is over for Garaad and Dhusamareeb brothers. this man will do the job done. 2 Osman Hassan BBC Somali Service 1962 -1977 United Nations 1977-2004 Geneva , Switzerland Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
