Reporters Without Borders said
today it was disgusted by a murder attempt against
Bisharo Mohammed Waeys, celebrated presenter on the
privately-owned Eastern Television Network (ETN), on
4 May, the last woman working openly as a journalist
in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland,
north-eastern Somalia.
Bisharo Mohammed Waeys, who presents a popular talk
show onto which she invites singers from the region,
was driving to her home in Bossasso, when she came
under fire from several armed men and only escaped
by accelerating away fast, it was reported by the
National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ),
partner organisation in Somalia of Reporters Without
Borders. The next day she received two text messages
threatening to kill her if she did not stop her
entertainment programme on ENT.
Mohammed Waeys previously presented the TV news.
Given her independent character and the fact that
she presents programmes without wearing the veil,
the group suspected of carrying out the murder
attempt is the armed Islamist group "Shabaab", which
has been responsible for most murders of journalists
since 2007 and was named a "press freedom predator"
by Reporters Without Borders on World Press Freedom
Day on 3 May 2008.
"A terrible tragedy has been narrowly avoided in
this country, which was in 2007, the deadliest for
journalists in Africa. Bisharo Mohammed Waeys's
forced descent into life under guard symbolises a
serious step backwards for Somalia since the
outbreak of war between the transitional government
and Islamic insurgents," the worldwide press freedom
organisation said.
"The Puntland authorities must take into
consideration the disgrace that this represents and
protect this journalist in every possible way," the
organisation added.
Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned
journalists and press freedom throughout the world.
It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium,
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and
Switzerland). It has representatives in Bangkok,
London, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has
more than 120 correspondents worldwide.
Reporters Without Borders - 47, rue Vivienne, 75002
Paris - France
allafrica.com
