RSF/IFEX, 20 July 2007 - Reporters Without Borders has hailed the 19 July 2007 release of Abdirahman Mohammed Habane of "Jamhuuriya", a daily based in Hargeysa, the capital of the breakaway state of Somaliland. He had been held since 12 July because of a controversial article about the swearing-in of a traditional leader.

He was freed after the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA), "Jamhuuriya"'s management and local human rights activists went to see the traditional leader concerned.

For further information, contact Léonard Vincent at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France,

Tell: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,

E-mail: africa@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org

Reporters Without Borders