Hargeysa, Somaliland, June 20, 2009 (SL Times) – The BBC Somali Service still remains biased and unfair in its coverage of Somali affairs despite the continuous complaints by a significant number of listeners. If calamities, wars and other disasters ravage some Somali territories, there is a safe heaven in others and reporting on events has to be balanced. If draught has hit the NFD of Kenya, if wars have devastated South Central Somalia, if the pirates are rampant in the coasts of Puntland, yet we are talking about music and the culture of reading and writing in Somaliland.

On 4^th June 2009, the 25^th anniversary of the martyrdom of the great singer, composer, music pace-setter, musician, actor and teacher Mohamed Moge Liban was being commemorated in the Somaliland capital Hargeysa. The event was collectively organized by the umbrella organization for Somaliland youth SONYO which brings together over 40 youth organizations, umbrella organization for Somaliland women groups NAGAAD, Somaliland’s leading youth NGO HAVOYOCO and the Academy for Peace and Development (A prestigious research center and think tank).  

The 40 years old guitar (oud) of the singer preserved by his sister was displayed. Also the last song (lyrics) he composed in May 1984 was put to music and sung by the young musician Karrone.

The over 400 participants watched a documentary film of 30 minutes on the life and compositions of the singer.

Dignitaries who attended the function included parliament speaker Abdirahman Erro and numerous MPs and senior government officials as well as representatives of the opposition parties and civil society organization.  This important event was also attended by two BBC reporters. But unfortunately the BBC Somali Service has decided to ignore and not carry the dispatch neither in its news bulletin nor feature programs because of sheer bias and unfairness.

Will things continue to remain as they are?

Thanks and we will write to you about the Somaliland Readers Clubs that review a book in every region of Somaliland on the last Friday of each month which the BBC Somali Service has never mentioned. It is a wealthy tradition that we could transfer to the other Somali regions through the BBC.

Brief profile of Mohamed Moge Liban:

• Name: Mohamed Moge Liban,

• Born in 1945 in Hargeysa, Somaliland,

• Concluded his elementary/intermediate schools in 1962 in Hargeysa,

• Concluded a two year teachers training in Amoud in 1964,

• Enrolled in the Ministry of Education as a teacher,

• Started singing and playing guitar (Oud) in 1968,

• Became a famous musician, composed, singer and drama actor,

• Was renowned for his singing of the defiant songs against the regime of Siyad Barre,

• Expelled from his job as a teacher in 1971 by Siyad Barre in person, the Dictator who was visiting a training camp where the teachers under went a military training,

• Mohamed Moge Liban used to sing the most defiant songs of Hadrawi and Abdi-Qays who were the most famous composers who languished for the longest period in the prisons of Siyad Barre,

• Mohamed Moge Liban joined the ranks of the Somali Liberation Forces as early as 1978 returning back from London and New York,

• He was killed in June 4^th, 1984 in Aware in the 5^th Zone of Ethiopia by the agents of Siyad Barre,

• Mohamed Moge Liban has one the richest songs repertoire of the Somali singers and he is still a role model for most of the Somali youth wherever they are, and his music and songs remain most of the favorites of the Somalis,

• Mohamed Moge Liban was a talented artist,

• He married in 1968 and had one daughter by the name of Yasimiin who lives in Nairobi, married with a number of children,

• The BBC’s opening signature for the weekly educational program is one of the educational songs of Mohamed Moge Liban,

• A Cultural Festival and Book fair that will be held in Hargeysa is also named Mohamed Moge Festival to commemorate this great singer,

• Mohamed Moge has lived in Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and the diaspora and has a considerable number of fans throughout the Somali territories.

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