Somaliland has opposed a conference that the Somaliland press community is planning to hold soon in the city of Borama, the administrative capital of the Awdal region, with the Ministry of Information stating that the conference lacks ministerial authorization.
The Director-General of the Somaliland Ministry of Information, Abdisalan Ilkacase, stated that the ministry granted no approval for the conference and was previously unaware of plans to convene it.
“As a ministry, we declare here that this conference does not have our approval, we are unaware of it, and it does not constitute a legitimate conference that reflects Somaliland laws upon our evaluation,” said Abdisalan Ilkacase.
The Director noted that this matter has been clarified to the officials of the Awdal region and anyone concerned, while also questioning the rationale behind choosing Borama as the venue for the conference planned by the Somaliland press community.
This statement has sparked reactions from various politicians, intellectuals, and commentators on social and media affairs.
Legal expert Guuleed Dafac questioned why a conference being held in the Awdal region is being viewed with suspicion, highlighting the historical significance of the city of Borama.
“If it is said that we are holding a conference in Awdal, is it being viewed with suspicion? How astonishing.
Now, this place is Awdal, which is where Somaliland was founded,” said Guuleed Dafac.
Former Somaliland Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Cabdinaasir Buuni, also criticized the Ministry of Information’s remarks in a post published on his Facebook page.
“Unfortunately, when did Borama become Mogadishu?” Buuni wrote in his post.
Renowned poet Yusuf Shaacir also reacted to the Ministry of Information’s stance, questioning the legal authority of the ministry to halt or obstruct a conference that journalists are holding in the city of Borama.
This debate coincides with a time when the Somaliland media community and press freedom organizations have expressed deep concern over recent arrests targeting journalists and individuals closely working with the media.
The Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) and other press freedom advocacy groups previously stated that the arrests of journalists have sparked apprehension regarding the state of free speech and media independence.
These organizations called for any allegations against journalists to be handled through proper legal procedures, while upholding fundamental rights and press freedom.
Consequently, the conference that the Somaliland media community plans to hold in Borama has become a subject of political debate and discussions on press freedom, after the Ministry of Information stated it had granted no approval, while various politicians and commentators questioned the rationale behind opposing the conference and the legal jurisdiction of the ministry.
Thus far, the core debate centers on the authorization of the conference, the reason Borama was chosen as the venue, and the role of the Ministry of Information regarding meetings convened by the press community.