070607-1100: No News Somalia

As I said, there are no slow news days in Somalia.

There may be, however, "no news" days.

Yesterday, Shabelle.Net reported the transitional Federal government had ordered closed three FM stations, includings the Shabelle Media Network's own. [1]

This morning, after monitoring the lively Shabelle.Net web practically since the start of this blog, there were no new headers.

I have sent a "why" query to reporter Aweys Osman Yusuf, and while that floats in the equatorial overnight Internet ether, I may go on to ask a few more questions.

Understood this day: every single Somalian stands somewhere between the transitional Federal government, the unofficial but potent localized power of the day, the watchful scrutiny of whatever remains of the Islamic Courts Council, and a raft of plain desparate and ungoverned humanity.

Anyone (with the wherewithal) may take up journalism in the United States. 

We're rather friendly that way with our fact finders, fact checkers, publishers, and pundits, but it takes some kind of brass balls to stand up and do the same in Somalia where the need for information--corroborated, verifiable, responsible--is great and the prohibitions for providing it with integrity severe.

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1. Yusuf, Aweys Oman.  "Somalia FM stations closed down; US shows concerns over the closure." Shabelle.Net, June 6, 2007: http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne3060.htm.

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Correspondence and Permissions: James S. Oppenheim

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