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Hargeisa, September 18, 2004 (SL Times) – The Somaliland Society for independent Journalists and Writers (SSJW) accused the BBC managers of the training program for Somali journalists of trying to sow division among Somaliland journalists.
In a statement issued by its chairman, Ahmed Ali Garas, yesterday, the SSJW said, BBC trainers solicited the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) to issue a condemnation of the SSJW’s decision to seek compensatory damages estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars from the BBC.
The SSJW announced on Sept 3, 2004 that it was going to sue the BBC for allegedly abusing the resources of the training program. However in a statement carried by the government-owned media and Jamhuuriya newspaper on Sept 5, 2004, SOLJA accused the SSJW of resorting to blackmail. In the statement, SOLJA claimed that the training program was being conducted by the BBC to the satisfaction of all Somaliland journalists with the exception of those working for Haatuf Media Network.
The SSJW responded on Sept 6 by saying that SOLJA’s rebuttal was uncalled for since the SSJW was taking legal action against the BBC, not SOLJA.
The SSJW which represents journalists who work independently of the government has been boycotting the BBC-run training program since it was launched December last year. It criticized the BBC project for not meeting the needs of Somaliland journalists and media institutions.
SSJW members refused to take part in the program until their demands for “a more effective allocation of project resources and improvement of the quality of training had been met.”
SOLJA, which mainly represents journalists working for the government-owned media, had initially also criticized the BBC’s training program. But SOLJA's leaders changed their minds later, endorsing the program in exchange for being chosen as the BBC’s official partners. According to SSJW’s chairman, Ahmed Ali Garas, the BBC trainers tempted SOLJA's leaders into betraying their colleagues.
Meanwhile, a group of SSJW members announced their support of the SSJW position on the dispute over the training program.
Members of this group included at least 21 well known journalists and writers working for various media outlets.
1. Mukhtar Osman Mohamed TV
2. Ahemd Hussein Warsame TV
3. Khadar Mohamed Akule TV
4. Muse Warsame TV
5. Hassan Haybe TV
6. Bashe Adan TV
7. Nefisa Mohamed Hussein TV
8. Saleebaan Amin TV
9. Ahmed Sh. Hussein Freelancer
10. Abdirahman Musa TV
11. H. Sheekh Mohamed Writer
12. Barre A. Adunyo Writer
13. Ahmed Dualle Haatuf
14. Saeed I. Guraase Haatuf
15. Mohamed M. Farah Haatuf
16. Abdifatah Aideed Haatuf
17. Araale M. Jama Haatuf
18. A/Aziz Kuwaiti Haatuf
19. Mohamed/Amin Husein Haatuf
20. Ahmed Jama Ismail Haatuf
21. A/rahman H. Dahir Haatuf
And others
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