Somaliland: BBC Pleads Guilt to Partiality, Points Fingers to its Somalia Service

By: M.A.Egge

The Minister of Information and National Guidance who is also the National Spokesman Mr.Osman Abdillahi Sahardiid has revealed that the BBC World Service has admitted to the BBC Somali Service bias in its duties to the detriment of the integrity of Somaliland Republic.

The Minister gave the revelations after meeting the institution’s African Regional Chief Mr. Solomon Mogera and the Swahili and Somali services head Mrs. Caroline Karobia when he met the duo in his office on Friday, according to Dawan Newspaper.

Mr. Sahardiid said, “The head of the BBC World Service Africa region and Swahili and Somali sections head were sent to this country to follow up the complaints of extreme bias against Somaliland that we had registered against its Somali service”.

The Minister explained the extent of bias of pro-Somalia at the expense of Somaliland that the institution had been perpetrating, a fact he said, was admitted by the BBC regional chief.

The Minister said that he and the BBC officials pondered over the accusations that he had made against the mega news outlet which mostly concerned the bias and impartiality in its coverage especially where debating was concerned of SL versus Somalia.

 The accusations centered on the BBC’s Somali Service deviation from the traditional objectives and fairness to the detriment of this country, a country which had a long history of relations with the BBC and British government.

 The duo admitted that when they reviewed and understood the contents of the February 17th debate aired by the BBC Somali Service that was presented by aAbdinuur Sh. Mohammed Issahak, they admitted that it was grossly partisan and biased.

They however absolved the greater BBC World Service, its chief executives and the peoples of the UK and directly pointed the fingers to the BBC Somali Service as being the main culprit of the misdemeanor.

 “If the BBC Somali Service is unable to earn the confidence of its listeners in Somaliland it is not the mistake of the Director General, news directors or the people of the UK but it is something confined to that section only (the BBC Somali Service)”, said Mr. Solomon Mogera.

 Mrs. Karobia said that she has already taken the steps as deemed on errant scribes as per the regulations of the institution.

 The BBC officials were accompanied by their colleague in the BBC Trust who is the country rep Mr. Mohammed Abdillahi Gaas.

 It is to be noted that the BBC Radio Kudu (present day Hargeisa Radio) was the first ever Somali radio in the world. Similarly, the venue happens to be the place where the BBC world Director General set up its first ever out-post solar relay station (in anywhere on earth) a decade ago.