MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Saturday accused the federal authorities of oppressing residents of the capital Mogadishu after safety forces arrested a bunch of journalists and residents they have been interviewing on the road.
Sharif criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration for stifling press freedom and repressing journalists, saying the federal government is afraid of public opinion and doesn’t permit cameras to function freely within the metropolis.
“If the federal government really intends to carry a one-person, one-vote election, because it claims, why is it arresting journalists and the residents they interview, merely for expressing their views?” Sharif requested.
Main the opposition to President Hassan’s controversial push for direct elections only a 12 months earlier than his time period ends, Sharif condemned the arrests as a “deplorable act.”
In current weeks, the Somali federal authorities has taken more and more harsh measures towards dissent. In a single incident, a district official even urged residents to bodily assault and “break the bones” of anybody of their neighborhood who opposes the federal government.
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