Ahlu Sunna Waljama Administration in central Somalia silences a radio Station in the town of Guri'el

MOGADISHU, Somalia, November 22, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- An independent radio station at the central Somalia town of Guri'el was shut down by heavily armed security personnel, loyal to Ahlu Sunna Waljama, a moderate islamist group, on Monday November 21,2011, around 4:45pm local time, NUSOJ reported.

Heavily armed security personnel, loyal to Ahlu Sunna Waljama, entered the promises of the Radio station on Monday afternoon and ordered the radio to go off air, according to the management of the radio who spoke with NUSOJ.

"Ahlu Sunna Waljama forces came to the premises of the radio and ordered us the radio to go off without court order," Ahmed Osman Abdi, director of the radio told NUSOJ, "We were on our regular duty and we don't know why our radio station was silenced."

There are other accounts that armed men arrived the radio station on Sunday evening, according to the Editor of the Radio, Abdifatah Hassan Farah

The radio, founded in September 3, 2011 by an independent entity, was the only radio listened widely in and around the town of Guri'el and its closure effects the community which do not have any other alternative to get the news updates and other entertainment related programs.

It was not immediately clear the reason behind the closure of the radio and the Ahlu Sunna Waljama administration in Guri'el could not be reached for comment. However, local journalists believe that the radio aired alleged news reports related to the Ethiopian troops movement in the region.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) condemns the act of silencing the radio station and calls for the Ahlu Sunna Waljama - a moderate sufi group - to immediately allow the radio station to resume operations.

"It is an act of violation to silence a an independent radio station without following the legal proceedings and we demand from the administration to clarify the reasons of the radio shutdown," Mohamed Ibrahim, the Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said "We call for the Ahlu Sunna Waljama administration to immediately allow the radio station to operate freely," END

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