A Somali radio journalist was detained for eight hours by police on Monday, amid the deadliest violence Mogadishu has experienced in months, the reporter told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"I got my freedom back," Abdi Mohamed Ismail, Shabelle Radio news editor, told AFP after his release. "They dealt with me fairly, but they didn't ask me anything during the whole time that I spent in custody. Maybe some of them were simply not pleased with the way I cover stories."
Government forces have in the past raided local radio stations, accusing them of fanning insurgent violence. "There was a news item that we broadcast yesterday (Sunday) about Somali forces stealing a truck. Perhaps they are not pleased with that news report and that is why they took him," said a Shabelle Radio editor, Ahmed Omar Hashi.