Al-shabab and Media houses

Few months ago I stumbled upon an audio recording posted on the site of Horn Afrik Media Company, it has been the last time I heard the voice of the deceased journalist Said Tahlil Ahmed, the director of Mogadishu based Horn Afrik media outlet, the audio recording was a political radio talk hosted by Said Tahlil. I inquisitively listened to the talk participated by the widely loathed former warlord Yusuf Mohamed Indhacade and the secretary general of the alliance for re-libration of Somalia- Djibouti wing Abdurrahman Janqow, in which Yusuf Indhacade accused his former crony of derailing Union of Islamic Courts´ vision of Imposing Sharia law throughout Somalia and verbally attacked Sheikh Sharif and his comrades. I also curiously followed this talk as Abdurrahman Janaqow counterattacked and labeled his friend of ignorant and insular who is only determined to sabotage the regional and international efforts to put an end the prolonged Conundrum of Somalia.

I reminisce; since the two guests have been formerly allied and split and more listeners participated through phone , Said Tahlil had the knack to run the talk smoothly by giving each of them a fair share on air in a professional and impartial manner.

I was shocked and dismayed by the news of the vicious and vile killing of Said Tahlil, Tahlil was reportedly shot on the head by 3 masked gunmen armed with pistols while he and other journalists from several radio stations were walking near Dahabshil building inside Bakara Market, the biggest Market in Mogadishu. At the outset, before I discuss who killed the journalist and the motive behind his killing, let me shed light on the role of the media during Ethiopian occupation of Somalia.

When Islamic Courts Union has taken the control of southern Somalia in 2006, the overwhelming majority of Somali media particularly Mogadishu based FM stations were biased to Islamic Courts Union and virulently opposing to the beleaguered transitional federal government led by former president Abdullah Yusuf seated in Baidabo, these radio stations were airing lopsided news and calling the TFG weak and dysfunctional, even during swift and short lasted fighting between UIC and Ethiopian troops propping the TFG some of the stations like Shebelle have been broadcasting nationalistic rhetoric songs recorded during Somali-Ethiopian war 1977. After Abdullah Yusuf´s government relocated in Mogadishu, these radio stations were disseminating orchestrated propaganda against the government and were adorning the insurgents, the directors of these stations contended that it is a patriotic obligation to side with the insurgents and exaggerate the shortcomings of what they call at that time a puppet government concocted by foreigners to suppress its civilians.

The same directors, when the bloodshed and infighting did not cease after the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops and more sub-factions are emerging to fight against the new government they agreed upon not to be a mouthpiece for peace spoilers. The directors and editors of the main media houses in Mogadishu convened to a meeting held in Mogadishu in which they agreed on;

1. To halt live broadcasts of religious sermons held in Mogadishu Mosques, in a bid not to give the speakers a chance to polarize the society and seize this opportunity for their political agenda as happened on several occasions, such religious talks should be recorded and aired after edited.

2. Not to accept and cover the press conferences hold by the warring factions of Somalia via telephone, since the security concerns caused the emergence of such sort of press conferences no longer exist. We call upon Islamist insurgents and other political organization holding a press conference to inform the local media the proposed time and venue of the press conference and media houses will dispatch reporters to cover regardless of geographical area.

3-Not to interview low profile novice politicians who have no official political title but could destabilize the country, the quoted individuals should be the well-known politicians currently operating in the political arena of Somalia

4-Not to air defamatory remarks made by propagandist self proclaimed politicians against Somali politicians and not to allow hatred comments that could instigate violence reach the public through the media and consequently cause infighting and displacement
5-eventually the media houses should encourage peace and those advocating for peace to contribute positively to the peace process.

Days after this media agreement, the press secretary of Al-shabab Al-mujahidin called the directors of the media houses of Mogadishu including said Tahlil on meeting and informed them to assemble the headquarters of Shebelle media network to be later accompanied by the above-mentioned shabab leader to the venue of the conference, but suddenly as they walk to the meeting venue, three armed gunmen appeared and killed Said Tahlil.

Such act has the fingerprints of Al-shabab, when the three gunmen were firing shots on Said Tahlil, Al-shabab official accompanying the journalists was on the scene with his armed body guards, such incident would not have occurred if Al-shabab did not give the culprit the green light. Three militias could not have killed Said Tahlil in a cold blood on the gaze of Shabab leader who invited the journalist on a meeting if they are not involved in the plot, its militias would have definitely defended since they were armed.

Although Al-shabab dismissed any involvement of the assassination of Said Tahlil, it goes with out saying that Abu Masor´s condolence message to the family of Said Tahil does not suffice, he should disclose to the concerned Somalis any evidence verifying that they are not behind this brutal killing