Sharif Hassan’s Body Guards Beat Female Journalist‎

ISSUE 228

Maryan Mohamed Qalanjo

Baidoa, Somalia, June 3, 2006 – Maryan Mohamed who works for Radio Shabelle was on Thursday beaten by the bodyguards of the speaker of Somalia’s parliament, Sharif Hassan Adan.

The female journalist who is better known as Maryan Qalanjo was first attacked at Baidoa’s airport. She went there to cover the scheduled arrival of Sharif Hassan and the premier of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, Ali Mohamed Geedi. Speaker Hassan was returning from Galkayo, a town in central Somalia, while Ali Geedi was expected to arrive from Nairobi.

Qalanjo was again attacked in her hotel by the same people who beat her at the airport.

Baidoa is controlled by the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA). The RRA has split into at least 2 major factions. One is led by Hassan Mohamed Nuur “Shaati-Guduud” and the other by Mohamed Haabsade. The TFG’s speaker is also from the RRA.

Qalanjo was accused by the RRA of broadcasting false information regarding the RRA.

The Somaliland Times correspondent in Baidoa, Yassin Anjeex, visited the Journalist at her residence hotel shortly after her release from detention.

Qalanjo pointed out that she was being persecuted for conducting an interview in which one of the Rahanweyn traditional elders criticizes Shaati Guduud and other RRA leaders for failing to form a local administration for Baidoa.

Shaati Guduud ordered Qalanjo’s release on the same day. However she was banned from working in Baidoa for Radio-Shabelle.

She told our reporter that she has been badly treated by the bodyguards of Shaati Guduud.

Source: Somaliland Times