Islamist militants belonging to the Al Qaeda proxy in Somalia, Al Shabab, have surrounded five radio stations in the main Bakara market, an insurgent hotbed in the capital, to prevent them from relocating to the government-controlled side of Mogadishu.
Dozens of heavily armed militants have been stationed around the buildings of five privately-owned radio stations in a bid to stop them from moving to the south of the city which is under the control of the Somali government and African Union peacekeepers (AMISOM).
“Many Al Shabab fighters are here around the stations. I don’t know why they are here but we got information that they are going to confiscate the stations if we try to move to the government side of the city,” an editor of one of the Bakara-based stations who demanded anonymity for security reasons told APA by telephone on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Al Shabab fighters told the managers of five radio stations in Bakara that they will face punishment if they try to move from the area.
Late last month, Shabelle Radio & TV moved from the area and is now based near Mogadishu airport where AU peacekeepers are tightening the security.
Reports say that Shabelle was about to be confiscated by militants before its manager took the decision to flee to the government-controlled side of Mogadishu.
Somalia is said to be one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work, with nine prominent journalists including two TV and radio directors being killed in and outside Mogadishu last year.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Related articles by Zemanta
- Somali Militants Order the Closure of Local Television Channel (netnewspublisher.com)
- High-ranking Al Shabab Commander Assassinated in Somalia (netnewspublisher.com)
