The people who have publicly burned Haatuf newspapers are the same ones who had sent threatening telephone calls to Haatuf’s office in Hargeysa a few days earlier, in which they said they would attack and burn Haatuf’s offices if the newspaper does not stop criticizing the Islamic Courts of Mogadishu.

The leader of the newspaper burning group is Mubarak Ahmed Diriye who has been suspected of having ties to al-Shabaab wing of Mogadishu’s Islamic Courts, whose overall boss is Adan Hashi Ayro.

During the burning of the newspaper, one of the religious extremists, Bashir Abdillahi Tagane addressed the local media and said, “We had warned the newspaper many times about the things they write but they didn’t listen.” Mr. Tagane also admitted that he was one of the people who had sent the threatening telephone calls to Haatuf’s office, and that the newspaper had printed their phone number, therefore, they had decided to burn the newspaper in protest.

The Mogadishu’s ICU view Haatuf newspaper as a powerful independent voice that stands in the way of their ongoing efforts to mobilize support from within Somaliland itself.

In addition to the reasons cited above, Bashir Abdillahi Tagane and Saeed Muse Faraas mentioned that the newspaper had reported that a meeting took place between the traditional elders of an east Buroa clan and clans from Puntland in Las Anod, when in fact this news item was not reported by Haatuf, but was reported back in May by “Codka Shacabka” newspaper which is no longer published.

One of the newspaper burners, Saeed Muse Faras, was also reported to have said after Friday players at a mosque in the Hodan neighborhood of Buroa, “there is nothing sacred about Somaliland’s unity, the only thing that is sacred is the holy book.”

The planners and participants in the public burning of the newspaper were:

1. Mubarak Ahmad Diriye

2. Bashir Abdillahi Tagane

3. Saeed Muse Faraas

4. Abdillahi Bashe

5. Hirsi Amir

Abdillahi Bashe (no.4 on the list) owns a big boarding school for which he charges $60 per student and several other schools in the city of Buroa. Bashir Abdillahi Tagane (no.2 on the list) is a broker who sells land and cars. Mr. Saeed Muse Faras’s (no.3 on the list) occupation is unknown.

The commander of the Buro headquarters, Mr. Suleiman Duale Ubahle talked to Bashir Abdillahi Tagane (one of the newspaper’s burners) and wanted to take him to the police station for questioning, but the commander of the police of Togdheer region, Mr Ahmed Muhammad Gutale prevented it due to nepotism.

Last Night, the Somaliland Times contacted the governor of Togdheer region, Mr. Abdi Hussein Dheere, which includes Buroa, but he told us he was not aware of this matter and will investigate.

Source: Somaliland Times

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