Somaliland Under Gag Order

By Ibrahim Jibah Ismail

Before I go into the subject concerning free press, let me document the latest news in respect to the attempted intimidation of Mr. Mohammed Hashi Elmi by the CID. Mr. Elmi is a respected leader and one of the founders of the SNM which liberated Somaliland from the oppressive clutches of Siyad Barre’s dictatorship. Mr. Elmi and the other valiant men of the SNM have dedicated their lives to promoting democracy in Somaliland. Mr. Elmi wrote an article questioning the hodgepodge nature of Somaliland’s budget recently passed by the newly elected Parliament. This budget was erroneous, lacked accountability and did not benefit the people of Somaliland as a whole. Mr. Elmi has raised important questions regarding this unbalanced financial document that should not have been passed without the accurate accounting outlined in the Somaliland Constitution. After the article was distributed on the Internet, the government sent the CID to Mr. Elmi to intimidate him for speaking the truth. Mr. Elmi is an honest man of honor who wishes to promote development and growth in Somaliland.

People of Somaliland, WAKE UP! A democracy without a free press and freedom of speech is not a democracy. Radio Hargeysa, a public radio station, has become a tool for the propaganda of Rayale/Awil and the NSS group who are now the rulers in Somaliland. It must be noted that where there is free speech and free press, democracy flourishes. Censoring and filtering information and inhibiting free speech undermine democracy. Through free press, one can question how their government is handling the financial and political affairs of state. This brings accountability to elected leaders, who in a democracy must answer to the citizens. Without a free press to “show and tell”, the corruption and mismanagement of the country’s wealth practiced by this administration goes unchecked and the foundation of the democracy may fail.

We, the Somaliland Community in California, wish to strongly express our concern over the escalating loss of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Somaliland. It was the courage to speak out against dictatorship by the Somalilanders who would not be silenced which brought freedom to Somaliland. The current administration must stop harassing and intimidating those who speak out in love and concern for their country. It is inexplicable that a leader of a democratic nation would not support the right of all to agree or dissent as they chose according to their conscience. Fear of a free press makes one wonder what is being hidden and this hidden agenda must not pass. It is an honorable thing to discuss and debate where the country is heading financially. It is an honorable thing for a government to be accountable to the people regarding the country’s monetary activities. We hope that this administration should heed the concerns of Somalilanders all over the world and stop the unconstitutional intimidation and interrogation of citizens for speaking their mind.

Failure to react to this degrading slap in the face of free speech guaranteed by the Somaliland Constitution will truly affect all of us for generations to come.

Ibrahim Jibah Ismail,

Chairman, Bay Area Somaliland Foundation

Home | Contact us | Links | Archives