(SomaliNet) A government official in Somalia capital Mogadishu has spoken out the reasons behind the closure of three main independent FM stations on Monday saying that the new bill of state emergency had impact on them. Abdirahman Dinari, the spokesperson of the transitional federal government said an official decree from the National Security Agency has ordered the administrators of the privately owned FM Radio stations of Shabelle, Horn Afrik and IQK as well as Al-Jazeera TV office in Mogadishu to cease their activities until further notice. “The move to shut down these media stations came after the federal government saw their works as a threat to the national interest because they have aired falsified reports and un-censorship interviews,” said Dinari. He said the government ran out of patience about the reports aired in the closed media stations. “It was intolerable what the three free FM radios broadcast each day... it was totally against the government,” Dinari told local reporters.
The owners of the closed FM stations condemned the government’s action as illegal and in violation of the free press. Ahmed Abdisalan, one of the shareholders of Horn Afrik Media who is Dubai, UEA, described the move as unwanted and contrary to the international press law. “The government used the Ethiopian tanks to shut down the free FM stations in the capital and is trying to oppress the freedom of speech. We have not received yet the possible grounds for the closure of my station,” Abdisalan said angrily in interview with BBC Somali section on Monday.