Say the Nile dam is beneficial to Horn Africa Citizens
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun - The recent government rejection of hosting
UNSOM office in Somaliland has received the support of 28 local human rights
organizations in the country.
The organizations which also touched on the issues of
unethical practices by media houses in the country and support for the Ethiopian
Nile dam contested by Egypt addressed their concerns to various stakeholders of
the Horn Region like IGAD, EU, UN and AU.
The Horn Watch statement read:
We hereby register our objections to the 22 years political
machinations of the UN which are detrimental to the sovereignty of Somaliland.
Even though the UN is established to protect rights similar to those of the 4
million Somalilanders, the world body has continuously been a stumbling block
to the realization of their dreams and passion for independence.
The UN has persistently turned a blind eye to the security,
demobilization, democratization, constitutional making and development the
country has garnered without bi-lateral support from the international
community.
In lieu of this the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch
Committee hereby informs that a time has come for the people of Somaliland to
say NO! NO! To the political machinations of the UN which are geared towards
returning Somaliland to the Union with Somalia.
Therefore, we the 28 members of the Horn of Africa Human
Rights Watch Committee hereby declare our full support and backing of the
decision by the government of Somaliland to reject UNSOM.
The relationship between Somaliland & Ethiopia is sacred
According to the statement by the Horn of Africa Human
Rights Watch Committee, the relationship between Somaliland and Ethiopia is
sacred and the 28 member organizations fully support the construction of the
Great Millennium Dam (aka the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) which is one of
the biggest achievements in the entire Horn of Africa Region.
The Private Media Saga
The Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee has taken
note with a grave concern the continuous saga between the state and private
media that has led to a large number of Journalists detentions and banning of
some media houses.
While not supporting the detention of Journalists and
banning of media houses, it has come to our notices that the government is
justified in undertaking these actions due to the unethical practices of most
members of the fourth estate.
According to a recent study by the Horn of Africa Human
Rights Watch Committee it has come to light that most of these Journalists are
forced to act unethically after receiving bribery for publishing articles, this
is as a result of low payment thus search for other avenues for income
generations that can cause a breach of the peace which is the preserve of the
administration to protect.
A brief example of this, which the Horn of Africa Human Rights
Watch Committee chronicled is the continued giving of the title chairman of
Hagsoor (Xaqsoor) political party of Hassan Essa Jama, who despite this is no
longer holder of the title because Xaqsoor was a political group that failed in
the last local council elections of November 2012 thus nonexistent as per the
constitution of Somaliland.
In the last few months, private media houses that include TV
Stations, Newspapers and Websites have used chairman of Xaqsoor Political Party
150 times which is not only unethical but unconstitutional.
At the same time, the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch
Committee is of the opinion that the local media has not only displayed poor
investigative journalism skills but failed in the most important duty which is
also the most resourceful, that of interviewing the common man and woman
especially on issues pertaining to health, education, culture, Tahrib (illegal
immigration) etc.
To this effect, the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch
Committee believed that the despite the various difficulties encountered by
journalist they are unethical and the government is justified in a clamp-down.
The Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee believes
that to correct this saga is for the implementation of the media law and most
specifically the disciplinary aspect of it.
Recommendations
To: Somaliland Government
We ask the government
to prosecute the two police officers who attacked the HUBAAL Newspaper and
injured an editor.
We suggest that the
Ministry of Information put in place legal parameters that govern information
disbursement in the country.
We urge senior
officials in the Ministry of Information to deter from
acting in a nepotistic manner especially as pertains to staff recruitments
owing to the fact that this is a very important institution in the
country.
We ask the Ministry
of Justice to with immediate effect return to work
Kayse Ahmed Farah whose employment was curtailed by chairman of the court of
appeal.
We ask Minister of
Interior to with immediate effect release Mr. Mawliid
Adan Omer who is in detention without trial for exposing corrupt practices at
the central bank.
TO MEDIA HOUSES AND THEIR WELFARE ASSOCIATIONS
They should avoid acting and Advocacy like NGO)
They should concentrate on developing their Journalist
skills, thus avoid confrontations with administration.
To: The International Aid Community and Sponsors of
Independent Media
We the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee have
noticed that the International Community and defenders of Independent Media
indulgent in to the media saga in the country and complicating it, due to their
failure of understanding and grasping the freedom accorded the fourth estate in
Somaliland, as opposed to Africa and the developing world.
These defenders should stop condemning the state for the
sake of it and concentrate on developing media skills and improving their
capacities.
Suleiman Ismail Bolaleh
Chairman of the Horn of Africa Human Rights Watch Committee
(HORNWATCH)
Statement condensed by somalilandsun
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