Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)
1 October 2009
Somalia — Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen fighters have closed down Warsan radio, one of the local FM radios in Baidoa town in southern Somalia, eyewitnesses told Shabelle radio on Thursday.
Reports from the town say that the Islamist fighters poured into the centre of the radio and ordered to the journalists to off air it and took some of the journalists including the director of the radio from there in Bay region.
locals said that the fighters carried an identifying letter and ordered Hilal Sheik Shu'ayb, the director of Warsan radio and Mohamed Aden, one of the staff to follow them adding that they left the journalists to the side of the centre of Baidoa town.
some of the radio staff whom we have contacted told Shabelle radio that they do not know the reason why the radio station was closed down and arrested their director by the Islamist forces in Baidao town adding that the fighters informed them for violating a rule which the Islamic administration had banned earlier which was releasing songs from the radio.
The journalists said that they did not release any song in their radio Warsan and took the order of the Islamic administration of Kismayu town earlier.
There was meeting held in Kismayu town on Tuesday for the management of radio in Kismayu town and Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen officials which talked to have contact the radios with mosques in Kismayu town by the time of the prayers. But Warsan radio did not make any contact with the Muazims of the mosques yesterday due to problems on the telephone connection which caused the Islamist fighters to shut its doors today.
There is no comment about the closure of Warsan radio station and arrest of its director from the Islamic administration officials so far.
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