Somaliland Government Arrests Publisher, Journalist, Officials Say

MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 6, 2007 – Authorities in Somaliland have arrested and jailed the publisher of an independent daily and one of its journalists after the paper published an article alleging the president was involved in corruption, officials said.

Police arrested and jailed the publisher of Daily Haatuf, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe, and a journalist at the paper, Ali Abdi Dini, on Jan. 2, said Ahmed Du'ale, a senior editor at the paper, adding police did not produce an arrest warrant.

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991 and has been relatively peaceful and stable compared with the rest of Somalia, which descended into anarchy following the 1991 ouster of longtime dictator Mohamed Siyad Barre by warlords.

"Police told the paper that they were arrested due to an article on corruption in Somaliland's presidency," Du'ale told The Associated Press. "I know that they (the journalists) have enough evidence and all the necessary documents to support the investigative article. The arrest is a violation of Somaliland's freedom of speech."

The Jan. 2 edition of Daily Haatuf, which is an old Arabic word for telegraph, carried a story alleging Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin had sold a public building and pocketed the money, said Du'ale, adding that the story also contained other allegations against Kahin.

Abdi Idiris Du'ale, spokesman for Kahin said that police are still investigating the case and the journalists will soon be charged.

"If they are found not guilty, they will be released," said the spokesman, who is not related to Haatuf's senior editor. Du'ale is a common name in Somaliland.

The self-declared independent region, which is not recognized by any state, has had a relatively free press and since 2002 has made efforts to set up democratically elected state structures.

The most recent was its first multiparty parliamentary elections, in September 2005, which saw Kahin's Udub party win 33 seats and become the largest party in the 82-member House of Representatives.

The region has its own security and police forces, justice system and currency.

Source: The Associated Press.

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