Somalia:SOFCA welcomes journalist's release

"On behalf of all Somali journalists in south and central Somalia, We welcome the release of Bile who was mistakenly arrested in Uganda, the same country he sought refugee for his safety," said SOFCA chairman Mohamed Olad Hassan

The journalist was among dozens of non-Ugandan citizens arrested by the Ugandan police, including number of Somali refugees.

"I was told that I was acquitted. I did not ask questions because I wanted to leave that horrible prison and again receive my freedom," Bile told SOFCA

"The journalist first fled from Somalia, after receiving a death threat by extremist militants. He was in Kampala only for two months, when the bombings occurred; he was arrested only for suspicion, now he is out. We thank to all organizations and individuals who helped the release of our friend from the jail," said Mohamed Mohamud Odowaa, a Somali journalist living in Uganda,"

There are few countries in the world more dangerous to be a journalist than Somalia, where nine were killed in 2009, and 22 since 2005.

Only Iraq ranks higher on the international Journalists defenders impunity index a list of countries where murders of media professionals are frequent and are not investigated.

Faced with constant threats and intimidation, many Somali journalists have fled into exile; those that remain live in constant fear of attack. There is a widespread concern the country’s relatively new free press could soon vanish altogether.

Independent media only emerged in Somalia after President Siyad Barre’s government collapsed amid civil war in 1991, putting an end to state control of news.

Mogadishu/ SOFCA Office