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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Somalia reverses broadcaster ban | Somalia reverses broadcaster ban |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Somalia's main broadcasters have been allowed to resume operations a day after they were banned. | Somalia's main broadcasters have been allowed to resume operations a day after they were banned. |
| The reversal follows a meeting between media executives from three radio stations and the interim government. Al-Jazeera TV can also resume work. | The reversal follows a meeting between media executives from three radio stations and the interim government. Al-Jazeera TV can also resume work. |
| The government had said the stations were instigating violence, amid accusations they were biased in favour of the ousted Islamist group. | The government had said the stations were instigating violence, amid accusations they were biased in favour of the ousted Islamist group. |
| The government is trying to assert its control of the country. | The government is trying to assert its control of the country. |
| Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi has told parliament that at least five African countries have promised to send peacekeeping troops to Somalia within the next two weeks. | |
| After years operating in a difficult environment to be closed down when you hope there will be stability coming soon is quite amazing Journalist Ahmed Abdisalam He named the countries as: Uganda; Nigeria; South Africa; Malawi and Senegal. | |
| The leaders of Ethiopia and Kenya have said they welcomed offers to send troops from African countries but did not name them. | |
| Only Uganda has so far publicly said it is prepared to send troops. | |
| Ethiopia troops helped the government oust the Islamists from Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia in recent weeks but Ethiopia is keen to withdraw its forces soon. | |
| Over the weekend, the regional body, Igad, sent envoys to seven African countries, asking them to contribute to a proposed 8,000-strong peacekeeping force | |
| Tension | Tension |
| "The government reversed the ban," Ali Iman Sharmarke, co-owner of HornAfrik, told Reuters news agency. | "The government reversed the ban," Ali Iman Sharmarke, co-owner of HornAfrik, told Reuters news agency. |
| "The international media and international organisations, especially the ones who work to protect the media, played a major role in the lifting of this ban." | "The international media and international organisations, especially the ones who work to protect the media, played a major role in the lifting of this ban." |
| Correspondents say the radio stations - Shabelle Radio, Radio HornAfrik and Voice of the Koran radio - are already back on air. | |
| There are reports that the government is to start publishing its own paper. It already has a website, and two radio stations - Voice of the Republic - broadcasting in Baidoa and Mogadishu. | There are reports that the government is to start publishing its own paper. It already has a website, and two radio stations - Voice of the Republic - broadcasting in Baidoa and Mogadishu. |
| Earlier, HornAfrik journalist Ahmed Abdisalam said the ban was surprising and dismissed claims that his station was sympathetic to the ousted Union of Islamic Courts. | Earlier, HornAfrik journalist Ahmed Abdisalam said the ban was surprising and dismissed claims that his station was sympathetic to the ousted Union of Islamic Courts. |
| "After seven years of operating in a very difficult environment to be closed down when you hope that there will be stability coming soon to Somalia is quite amazing," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. | "After seven years of operating in a very difficult environment to be closed down when you hope that there will be stability coming soon to Somalia is quite amazing," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. |
| He said during the Islamists' six-month rule there was a lot of tension between the media and the courts - the media was given strict rules to follow which were negotiated between the two sides. | He said during the Islamists' six-month rule there was a lot of tension between the media and the courts - the media was given strict rules to follow which were negotiated between the two sides. |
| Protests | |
| In Somaliland, large demonstrations have been held after interim Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf said he views the breakaway region as part of Somalia. | |
| Somaliland declared independence from Somalia after the overthrow of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, since when the country has been without an effective national government. | |
| For years Somaliland has been campaigning to win support for its claim to be a sovereign state. | For years Somaliland has been campaigning to win support for its claim to be a sovereign state. |
| And many Somalilanders, who have escaped much of the chaos and violence that have plagued Somalia, are fiercely opposed to any talk of reuniting with their lawless neighbour. | |