Somaliland police arrested Mohammed Abdi Sheik, owner of MTV-local channel , along with operators Ilyaas Abdinasir and Mohamed Abdi Abdillahi. The arrests occurred after a production segment discussing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Ethiopia and Somaliland. The MMTV journalists Mohamed Abdi Sheikh, Mohamed Andar, and Ilyaas Abdinasir were also detained during the incident in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
According to a press release from MMTV, Somaliland army soldiers attacked the MMTV Center in Hargeisa, causing chaos, violence, and damages to equipment. The attack took place while a discussion was ongoing about the agreement between Somaliland and Ethiopia.
The press release stated that the forces attacked MMTV, destroying equipment and disrupting the discussion on the TV’s X space regarding the benefits and risks of a maritime understanding between Somaliland and Ethiopia.
MMTV emphasized that there was no crime or abuse during the discussion. Notably, senior Somaliland government official Faisal Ali Sheikh and Yusuf Garad Omar, with various positions in the Somali government among key analysts from the region and beyond , participated in the debate after discussing it with government officials who were aware of their representation.
As of now, the Somaliland administration has not provided reasons for suspending the debate and the destruction of the media center, raising concerns about press freedom and freedom of expression in the region.
Mustaqbal
