VOA慢速英语2019--索马里政府拘留的记者数量创纪录

A media organization in Somalia reported last week that Somali government forces beat and detained a record number of journalists last year. That information left some people wondering if the government is restricting investigation¹ of its security record before elections later this year.

For years, the militant² group al Shabaab was accused of targeting Somali journalists. The number of killings³ has decreased, although two journalists were among those killed in a bombing last year. Now media say they face a new danger: government forces.

State security forces detained 38 journalists in Somalia in 2019. That information comes from Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, secretary general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate. He says most were detained while reporting on bombings or militant attacks. Some media workers were reporting on corruption⁴.

"The government is not allowing journalists to report," Mumin said. Officials rarely report the number of victims from incidents like a recent truck bombing, which killed around 90 people.

Mumin's report says that in most cases, detained journalists are not charged and are released after hours or days.

Last year, 37 journalists were beaten, shot at or threatened at gunpoint in Somalia, mostly by state security forces, the report said.

Somalia's police spokeswoman, the interior minister and information ministry⁵ spokesman did not answer requests for comment.

Suppression of information

There is no public database of attacks and bombings in Somalia. The country's citizens usually hear about attacks through the media. However, while the size of bombings is increasing, journalists say news coverage⁶ is decreasing.

Farhan Mohamed Hussein is a reporter for Radio Kulmiye, a privately⁷ owned station. Hussein said he was arrested three times last year and twice the year before. Once police blindfolded⁸ him and beat him with their guns, he said. Another time, they destroyed his camera.

Hussein added, "Many people see you as an enemy when they see you have a camera. Reporters are victims of the government which was supposed to work with them..."

He also said that journalists have been banned from parliament and ignored by spokesmen who only release official statements on social media.

Abdalle Ahmed Mumin confirmed the ban. He added that the upper legislature is considering a bill to further restrict media freedom.

Nimco Mohamed Bashir is director of the privately owned Rajo Television Network. She said the government restricts reporting in a way that political killings never had.

Bashir said that government officials "openly tell you ‘no covering stories of blasts.'" After she reported news of one bombing on Facebook, she said, police came to her home to arrest her and threatened her family.

Aamin Ambulance is often the only source about deaths or injuries from militant attacks. Doctor Abdikadir Aden is the head of the privately run service. He told the Reuters news agency that in April, government officials asked the service to stop releasing numbers of dead and wounded. Aden noted⁹ that the government also tried to restrict emergency medical vehicles from explosion sites.

Government officials did not answer Reuters' requests for comment.

Words in This Story

journalist -n. a member of the press; a reporter

allow – v. to permit something

blindfolded – adv. with the eyes covered by a piece of cloth

coverage – n. the activity of reporting about an event or subject in newspapers, on television news programs, etc.

database – n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer

(at) gunpoint – n. under a threat of death by being shot

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

7 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

8 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。