Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Saturday accused the federal government of oppressing residents of the capital Mogadishu after security forces arrested a group of journalists and citizens they were interviewing on the street.
Sharif criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration for stifling press freedom and repressing journalists, saying the government is afraid of public opinion and does not allow cameras to operate freely in the city.
“If the government truly intends to hold a one-person, one-vote election, as it claims, why is it arresting journalists and the citizens they interview, simply for expressing their views?” Sharif asked.
Leading the opposition to President Hassan’s controversial push for direct elections just a year before his term ends, Sharif condemned the arrests as a “deplorable act.”
In recent weeks, the Somali federal government has taken increasingly harsh measures against dissent. In one incident, a district official even urged residents to physically assault and “break the bones” of anyone in their neighborhood who opposes the government.
