Reuters AlertNet Lite - DJIBOUTI-SOMALIA: Jaffer Kukay, "I was worried that they would follow me and kill me"

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DJIBOUTI-SOMALIA: Jaffer Kukay, "I was worried that they would follow me and kill me"

18 Feb 2009 14:18:34 GMT
Source: IRIN

Background

• Somalia in turmoil

DJIBOUTI, 18 February 2009 (IRIN) - Hundreds of thousands of Somalis are either refugees in neighbouring countries or internally displaced due to more than a decade of conflict. Journalists are joining their ranks after receiving death threats; nine have been killed since 2007 and dozens more have fled. Jaffer Kukay, 29, now living in Djibouti, was director of Radio Shabelle, one of the leading radio stations in Mogadishu. He talked to IRIN about his experiences:

"I fled Mogadishu on 15 November 2007 after numerous threats, intimidation and harassment from all quarters. I was detained by government forces three times. The main reason was always because of a story we published that someone did not like.

"On 14 September 2007, security agents arrived at the station and took the entire staff on duty at the time, 22 employees, effectively shutting it down.

"All the time we were under their control, we were threatened with death.

"When they finally brought us in front of their commander, he asked me my name and when I told him, he looked at the guy who brought us there and said, 'You should not have brought this man alive. You should have killed him and then shown me his body.' That truly scared me. But then, on 16 September 2007, the station was attacked by government forces.

"A day later, I was walking around Bakara market when I was confronted by three young men. One of them was armed. He pointed his pistol at me and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the gun did not go off and then he tried again but it failed. People tried to wrestle the gun from him but he escaped.

"That was one of the main reasons why I was forced to seek refuge in Djibouti. It was exactly how many of my colleagues had met their deaths. To this day, I am surprised I actually survived that incident.

"On 19 October 2007, the deputy chairman of the radio station was killed by a man with a pistol in the same area I was attacked.

"On 13 November 2007, the station was raided again by the security agents led by the guy who said they should have killed me. He said: 'We let you go but now you've asked for this by covering all this nonsense about suffering in the city and the displacement of the population and killings.'

"He took me and the editor to the deputy commander of the security forces. But the deputy told me I was free to go. That scared me more than being arrested. I was worried that now they knew my face, they would follow me and kill me. It was not the first time someone was released only to be killed later.

"It was at that moment that I decided to leave the city. Thankfully, I made it out without incident. I am now a refugee in Djibouti.

"It is a completely different place. I walk in the middle of the night without any worries. I am getting used to being able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, without fear."

ah/mw

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