Carafaat Posted June 16, 2012 VOA Somalia Section Gives Airtime to Pro-Piracy Propaganda Puntland State of Somalia Garowe PRESS RELEASE 11 June 2012 VOA Somalia Section Gives Airtime to Pro-Piracy Propaganda On 9 June 2012, the Voice of America (VOA) Somali Section gave a five-minute interview on the air to a self-proclaimed ‘Somali community elder’ who claimed to be living in Puntland State. The interview subject, whom VOA reporter Abdullahi Nur Mohamed “Colombo” incorrectly identified as a community elder named Mr. Shire Farah Mohamud, claimed that he lives in Bali-Dhidhin village of Bari Region. Puntland Government has no information confirming the existence of a known community elder named Mr. Shire Farah Mohamud in Bari Region, and therefore the interview subject was a fraud. Mr. Shire spent the opportunity on the airtime to condemn Puntland Government’s robust anti-piracy law enforcement action in towns and coastal areas of Puntland State. Mr. Shire made baseless allegations, such as: “many houses were bombed in an airstrike”; “livestock was killed”; and “civilians in Bali-Dhidhin village were displaced, including more than 30 missing persons.” This interview with a self-proclaimed ‘Somali community elder’ is demonstrative of VOA Somali Section’s biased reporting toward developments in Puntland State. The VOA reporter’s lead-in questions portray the picture that the reporter is sympathetic to pirates and other criminal groups. The VOA Somali Section’s Editorial Board includes individuals motivated by animosities of the 1990s clan conflicts and who abuse the responsibility to provide fair and balanced reporting on developments in Somalia. The Editorial Board has a track record of biased reporting, promotion of anti-Puntland media rhetoric, habitually using interview subjects and sources of questionable background to create sensational journalism, and tilting news coverage in favor of one Somali political group or another, at the expense of neutrality. Puntland Government calls upon the U.S. State Department and the VOA Board of Governors to analyze and review the culture of biased reporting at the VOA Somali Section since 2009. Additionally, Puntland Government requests that VOA Somali Section be obligated to prepare and publish Daily Transcripts of news casts and programs in Somali and English languages, in order to better inform the U.S. Government and the taxpayers about the role of VOA Somali Section in efforts to restore peace in Somalia. READ:TRANSCRIPT VOA Somali Section News THE END Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carafaat Posted June 16, 2012 Somalia: Puntland Maritime Police Forces Deploy in Strategic Coastal Towns 8 Jun 8, 2012 - 4:40:50 AM PRESS RELEASE| Puntland Government forces conducted a robust anti-piracy campaign between 6 May 2012 and 8 June 2012 and have achieved tangible success in anti-piracy operations along coastal towns in Bari, Karkar and Nugal regions of Puntland State of Somalia. In recent weeks, Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMFP) units have been deployed in the coastal towns of Eyl, Hafun, Bargal, and the village of Hul-Anod. PMPF forces have successfully cut off pirate supply lines to hijacked ships and two hijacked ships have left the coast of Bari region as a result. The two hijacked ships escaped towards the open Indian Ocean and the pirate leader Mr. Isse Yuluh is on board one of the hijacked ships. Mr. Yuluh and his gang of pirates are charged with kidnapping a Danish family in 2011, among other piracy crimes. Puntland Government strongly urges nonpayment of ransom money, as ransom payment fuels more piracy attacks. Hul-Anod coastal village is also the site where five members of Puntland security forces were killed in a pirate ambush, in March 2011, and the local community sees the arrival of PMPF forces as a welcome sign in the former pirate hub of Hul-Anod. Puntland Government expresses its appreciation to local communities in the coastal areas for supporting the Government’s law enforcement actions aiming to remove piracy activities from the Puntland coast. The Government’s law enforcement action targeting pirates is in accordance with numerous resolutions from the U.N. Security Council calling upon regional authorities in Somalia to build up law enforcement and security capacity in the fight against piracy. Puntland Government appeals to the international community to bring humanitarian and development assistance for communities in Puntland coastal areas affected by piracy and illegal fishing. -- Ministry of Security and DDR Puntland State of Somalia Somalia: Puntland maritime forces pursue pirates 5 Jun 5, 2012 - 9:47:41 AM BARGAL, Somalia Jun 5 2012 (Garowe Online) – Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) entered the coastal district of Bargaal after reports that Somali pirates were holding ships they captured in the district's coast, Garowe Online reports. A regiment of the PMPF arrived in the coastal district on Monday night and conducted operations to locate pirates that may have docked seized ships in the districts coast. Residents of Bargaal last week requested that the Puntland government take action about the reports of pirates entering the district. The regiment which left the district of Hafun on Monday, has been after a group of pirates that reportedly were operating in Bargaal, a district in Bari region. According to local sources in the district, unidentified helicopters have been searching the coast for the reported ships but officials say the pirates have boarded there ships and fled the coast. PMPF Commander Col. Abdirasak Diriye Farah who spoke to BBC Somali, said that the Somali pirates boarded the ships after hearing that the PMPF had entered the coastal district. The Colonel added that the pirates headed back into the Indian Ocean. Upon leaving Hafun - where a regiment of PMPF was stationed - while en-route to Bargaal the maritime forces held planning sessions in coastal communities for their continued cooperation with the maritime forces. Late last month in Hafun, PMPF successfully captured Mohamed Hassan Dhafoor, a notorious pirate who allegedly was involved in clashes with Puntland forces after they had tried to rescue a Danish family being held hostage by Dhafoor and his associates. GAROWE ONLINE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carafaat Posted June 16, 2012 Dr.Osman, hand in those pirates from Hafun or face more actions from the Puntland marines. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
