URGENT MEDIA VIOLATIONS: Puntland Administration Bans Universal TV

Garowe, Sep 21, 2013 -Somalia’s regional state of Puntland has banned the operation of Somali satellite TV on Saturday alleging the TV did not broadcast the recent speech by President Abddurahman Farole at the Somalia New Deal Conference last week. A decree from the office of Puntland’s information minister said that the Puntland government suspended the operation of the Universal TV offices in Puntland.

“Following the deliberate rejection by the Universal TV staff in Brussels against the president of Puntland government Abdurahman Mohamed Farole’s speech, the ministry of information of Puntland has issued a ban against Universal TV.” the decree which RBC Radio obtained a copy of it said.

The decree also informed security officials and governors to abide by the suspension order against Universal TV, while journalists working with Universal TV in Puntland were warned against any news coverage in the region.

The management of Universal TV did not comment on the suspension from Puntland administration.  The region has a long history of intimidation against independent media and journalists.

The banned Universal TV offices in Puntland issued and signed by Puntland’s information minister is here below.