I'm a Dutch national who worked and extensively traveled throughout Somalia, South to North, between 1994 and 1998. During my residence, I made many good friends, some of whom I still maintain regular contacts through the Internet. I have developed a hobby and nostalgia to browse Somali websites to update myself of the progresses made in the town and villages I once worked.At that time, I realized how vital the BBC Somali Service was to the lives of the Somali people. I observed men throng at teashops around 5:30 p.m. to catch their daily dose of local and world news, from their favorite and, of course, only reliable source. Somalis recognize the significance of keeping this important service and had previously appealed against a decision to close the Service.However, I'm baffled by the continued attack, somewhat personal in nature, on the BBC Somali Service team and particularly its chief editor by few Somali websites, most notably Allpuntland, Wardheernews, Allwadani, and Idamaale. It is hard to digest the daily slanders heavily rained on its editor, a man I personally met and have a great respect for; a man who is genuine and sincere and has taken the Service into a commendable level appreciated by those who really depend on their daily world news. I have met Mr. Garad in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2003 and we had a very good conversation. There are things he talked about which included improving the Service even higher to make one of the best African programmes in the BBC World Service.I was stunned to read statements like: close the BBC relay antennas in Puntland, and begging others to follow suit to close down all BBC relay centers in that country. I asked myself the question of who will lose if the antennas are brought down. I understand that the webmasters of the afore-mentioned websites reside in Europe or North America. I also recognize that these webmasters have the luxury to choose between hundreds of radios and television stations anytime of the day or night and that they don't need the thirty minute news time that the masses in Somalia cherish to listen. The losers in this case will be the millions living in remote villages and towns in a country that doesn't have proper mass media such as radios and television.Then I took the trouble to investigate why these websites where so critical of this marvelous man and his team? My findings of the reason behind the continuous insults, some of which are dehumanizing, against the chief editor and his team is beyond belief. First, I established the fact that ALL the above-mentioned websites are either edited or owned by people from Puntland. Secondly, I also found out that ALL these websites are pro-Abdullahi Yusuf government. Here is then where the problem lies: These webmasters wished the BBC to be the mouth piece of the interim president's government and promote his policies.
Unfortunately, when the chief editor asserted the neutrality and independence of the Service from the Somali politics, they decided to destroy his character and dedicated team that work so hard in the most difficult of circumstances. Their motive is to tarnish Mr. Garad's character in order to persuade the World Service programme editors to dismiss him or demote him. Their means are to continually publish articles, interviews and lies against this good man and his team. And their objective is to get away with murder by knowingly lying and discrediting this highly professional individual and seeking his head.
The World Service understands your motives and may not replace Mr. Garad with one of your kin. At least in the West, it doesn't work that way. It is worth mentioning that this act is not part of Somali culture or puritan Islamic code of conduct. It is as I understand, after research and years of experience in Somalia, based purely on clan difference and hatred. These are accusations intended to cause maximum damage not only to character assassinate the lead editor but the good men and women who so tirelessly provide unbiased first hand news from the world's leading news agency, The World Service. Behold! Clan loyalty in Somali is so sacred that one will not hesitate to kill or hurt fellow citizen without giving a thought in its name. The clan is the Satan that the Somalis worship and where Satan rules, humans are subjugated to perform every undignified act without asking questions. No amount of reason will explain why these websites are so obsessed to dehumanizing a fellow human being. Clan fanaticism is the lowest points a human being can reach. A piece of advice to these websites, please don't attack, insult or humiliate someone or some people who are so dedicated to serving your community. Please stop seeking the destruction of the Somali Service, because millions depend on it. Please understand that the Service is an independent entity and no one can influence how it works. Please stop acting as INTERNET WARLORDS who terrorize their victims in every home and internet cafe. Please stop the continual character assassination of the highly qualified chief editor, who as many Somalis put it, is considered the best ever editor the Somali Service has ever had.Finally, I would like to strongly commend on the excellent job that the Somali Service team is doing. I congratulate you all for the professionalism, reliability and accuracy of the news that you provide to Somali populations who rely solely on your hard work and dedication. Very well done all!
Adrian Baldwin
The Hague, Netherlands
E-mail: adrian.baldwin@yahoo.com
A response to the preceding article was posted by Ali Osman Samater as shown below:
A Dutch citizen, Mr. Adrian Baldwin a self declared advocator of the present BBC Somali service warlord
By Ali Osman Samater
Assuming that Mr. Baldwin is a Dutch citizen who worked and intensively traveled to Somalia as he claims between 1994 and 1998, the BBC Somali service was perhaps or at that time not under the present chief editor as he titled him. However and at that same time, Mr. Baldwin admits that he met the chief editor of the BBC Somali section sometime in 2003 perhaps during the Somali peace and reconciliation conference in Kenya, Nairobi. It is very logic and understandable that Mr. Baldwin developed like many other European experts a close relationship with the Somali people and the country where he worked 4 years long. Apart from the time differences in world, it is also true that Somalis listen to the BBC Somali service since the beginning of the Somali services in the BBC. This is because the BBC was known to the Somalis as a liberal and independent Radio but since your favorite editor is responsible for the Somali section in the BBC things has changed dramatically.
The BBC Somali section became a propaganda section for the criminal warlords of Mogadishu. This can proofed by the daily propaganda news that the BBC Somali section fabricates without any journalistic ethic. Every genuine Somali know today that the BBC Somali service is literally part of the Somali conflict. They create problems through their biased, irresponsible and manipulated reports about the Somali conflict. However I was surprised to read that our Dutch European expert stands and defends someone who simply told him his version about the huge and nation-wise protest against the Warlord in the BBC Somali service. That is far beyond the well known critical thinking of a Western citizen because; to make a fair judgment on a given subject one must make an intensive research on different sides of the issue and that is categorically missing in the article of Mr. Adrian alias Baldwin.
In the contrary and strange enough Mr. Baldwin is attacking some Somali Webs and insults Somalis whom he might not even know and perhaps never talked to about their permanent criticism on the BBC propaganda as a clan motivated Internet warlords. In addition to that and surprisingly Mr. Baldwin is saying without scruple that the major target of the critics is to turn the BBC Somali service into Abdullah Yusuf Propaganda center. Following that, that statement implies that our Dutch citizen understands the Somali language, the Somali conflicting clan diversity as well as its conflicting contradictions. If not so, the crucial question is who explains or translates, our world citizen Mr. Baldwin, all the BBC news and all other manipulated live field reports of the BBC propaganda Somali section. I assume that Mr. Baldwin is either misinformed or his statement has certain private opportunistic back ground because as Dutch citizen he must know that even in the Nederland people sometimes democratically protest against a TV report or documentation no matter how right or wrong but nobody insult them for their personal view.
As a genuine Somali from Awdal Region and all other Somalis who criticize the BBC ethic free Somali service have every right to do so with out being insulted. For your information and those who are carrying the real responsibility of the BBC, this is the first in the history of the BBC Somali service that thousands and thousands of genuine Somalis are protesting against the civil war creating propaganda machinery of the BBC Somali services in Bush House. Again for your general information, the very recent and impudent Chapter of the BBC propaganda is the newly nominated 64 so-called Banadir Council. Couple of months ago the TFG Mogadishu Warlord faction launched a campaign packed by the BBC Somali service to remove all barricades from the streets of the ex-Somali capital so that the TFG as whole can operate in Mogadishu. Nevertheless, day in day out the BBC Somali section reported about that perverse show and Mogadishu remained today the biggest obstacle of the Somali peace. Without asking any critical question to the warlords, the BBC is again part of the new cheap political maneuver of the Mogadishu warlords. The BBC Somali section warlord gives unlimited propaganda air time to those who are not totally interested in finding peace solution for the Somali people and our people are indisputable severing under the criminal law of the war lords in Mogadishu. Mr. Baldwin I fully agree with you as you fantastically expressed that a clan fanaticism is the lowest point a human being can reach. Sorry to say this. Your favorite and BBC Somali services editing warlord is literally honorable member of that species. He became an Editor of the BBC Somali service in the darkest days of our nation and he could have become a Somali hero (For example, instead of Good morning Vietnam he could have said good morning Somalia) but instead of that he preferred to become what you called correctly a primitive clan fanatic. Advice to you and your fellow Editor, Please Mr. Baldwin inform yourself about the Somali drama from all sides and do not mix your perhaps personal interest and the national interest of the severing Somali people. That is not fair .To your fellow friend and BBC Somali service editing warlord, many Somalis are lead today by their clan warlords and are seriously severing a destructive clan virus infection, therefore it could be a liberal and progressive BBC Somali services that can contribute to the healing of our poor people and the sick intelligencer of the nation. Otherwise it is time and advisable that the Directors of the BBC Somali service makes the way free for a new start in the interest of their Somali listeners and the peace in Somalia.
Ali Osman Samater
E-mail: Osmansamater@Yahoo.com
