Somaliland government bans privately-owned radio stations

ALERT - SOMALIA
>
> 14 June 2002
>
> Somaliland government bans privately-owned radio stations
>
> SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
>
> (RSF/IFEX) - On 14 June 2002, RSF called on the government of Somaliland,
an
> autonomous region of Somalia, to reverse its 5 June ban on all
> privately-owned radio stations.
>
> The Information Ministry announced that "no other voice" could be heard on
> the air except that of government-run Radio Hargeysa, and that
> privately-owned stations would not be permitted, because of "potential
> dangers." It warned anyone with transmitting equipment to hand it over to
> the authorities and warned those who did not do so would be "prosecuted in
> court."
>
> "This move is a serious obstacle to press freedom and the growth of
> independent and diverse expression in the region," RSF Secretary-General
> Robert Ménard said in a letter to Somaliland President Dahir Riyale Kahin.
> "The government has taken this step because it knows most of the region's
> inhabitants get their news from the radio," Ménard added.
>
> The country's only radio station is the official Radio Hargeysa, but
several
> people and opposition parties have applied for broadcasting frequencies.
> Several privately-owned newspapers are published and sold in Somaliland's
> main towns.
>
> Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but has
> not been recognised by the international community. RSF recalls that the
> authorities in Puntland, another autonomous Somali region, shut down the
> main privately-owned radio and television station in May (see IFEX alert
of
> 24 May 2002).
>
> For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue
Geoffroy
> Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11
51,
> e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.fr
>
> The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
> In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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