By: Mohamed Dhaysame
Somaliland has announced a ban on broadcasts by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Somaliland Information Minister Saleban Yusuf Ali Koore told reporters Tuesday that BBC broadcasts have reduced the identity and dignity of Somaliland.
The minister, speaking in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa, said that after long discussions, authorities decided to ban the BBC on the grounds that the network has lost its neutrality and is acting against the independence of Somaliland.
“As of today, Tuesday, July 19, I have decided to suspend or ban the BBC from operating in Somaliland,” Yuusuf said.
Koore said the BBC fails to recognize that Somaliland is a democratic country that has stood on its feet for the last 31 years, with multiple presidential and parliamentary elections.
So far, the BBC, which calls Somaliland a “self-declared republic,” did not immediately issue a response to the allegations or the ban.
