By Abdinasir Mohamed, editor in-chief

AFGOI (Sunatimes)-Journalists in the violent south of Mogadishu face self-censorship, exile or certain deaths as rebel militants order them suppression against their reporting.

Hizbul Islam, a rebel Somali group has ordered the journalist operating in the agricultural region of lower Shabelle to table their reports before reporting to their media stations and to add into rebel slogans with their matching Taleban style sounds.

The orders of the militants are the following marks:-

1. All local journalists in the region are required to start their reports or news with the name of God.

2. Journalist should submit their reports and news to the information office of Hibs al Islam before disseminating

3. All journalists should come to the information office if they need to do interview with officials of the faction.

Dozens more journalists have fled the volatile country as many others who insisted to remain in the country are facing the harshest censorship and punishments, mainly from the rebel extremist groups those control most of the country’s regions.

Somalia is considered one of the world's most dangerous countries for media workers, as most of the working journalist are fed up with ill-disciplined rebels.

"This report highlights the terrible dilemma that the region's journalists face - censor themselves and death threats” Ali Yasin Gedi, the vice chairman of Elman peace and human rights group told Sunatimes.

The horn of Africa nation has been without central government since1991 after clan militias and warlords overthrown the dictatorregime of Siad Barre that lastly leashed out to constant violence for more than 20 years.

Source: Sunatimes

Mogadishu-Somalia