Mogadishu, (insidesomalia.org) - Somali Federal Government insisted to stop violations against freedom of press.

Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein speaking to the participants of the ceremony of 21st January, Somali Freedom of Press Day held on Monday at Central Hotel in Mogadishu through the telephone line said that his government would stop media crack down and restore freedom of press.

"Violations against media will be over starting from today and we will improve our relations with the media" said the prime minister who has arrived in Mogadishu yesterday, his first visit to the chaotic capital.

It is the policy of the new government to establish a multi-party system that transforms the clan-based government structure to a new system with equality for all Somalis, according to Prime Minister Nur Adde

"Committee linking between the government and media will be set up to mediate disputes between the two sides and the committee will be fully independent' said Ahmed Abdisalam Aden, the newly appointed Information minister and deputy premier speaking at the ceremony.

"I hope that incidents in which journalists are deprived of their rights are a thing of the past, we don't want any struggle between the government and the media," he added.

According to the Somali Coalition for Free Expression, which organized the press freedom day Monday, issued a report detailing violations against the media in 2007.

"At least eight journalists were killed, five wounded and 42 others were arrested in the 2007. Four journalists are being detained by government forces in the capital Mogadishu, and are still in detention, for unknown reasons.

Private radio station Somaliweyn Radio's director Abdirahman Mohamed Hudeyfi and Bashir Mohammed Abdulkadir, a journalist for the station, were arrested on January 13. Mohammed Shidane Daban, a journalist working with Banadir Radio, was arrested on January 4 at Mogadishu's airport and Yusuf Ahmed Barrow, director of Koranic Radio Station was arrested on December 2007. No charges have been brought against them," the report said.

It becomes hard for the Journalists do their job in Somalia since Somalia becomes second to Iraq where journalists are killed, tortured, arrested and harassed.

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