2007年VOA标准英语-Somalia Journalists Under Threat

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
10 September 2007

Many journalists in Somalia are leaving the country because of the increasing threat of violence from Islamic militias¹ and the country's weak transitional government. As Nick Wadhams reports from the VOA office in Nairobi, many of the reporters are relocating to Kenya.

The human-rights group Amnesty International says Somalia has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work. This year, seven have been killed, four were shot and wounded, and several have been detained.

Amnesty says that several radio stations, including the popular HornAfrik media network, have been shut down by the authorities or attacked for their stories. The situation has gotten so bad that more than 30 journalists have fled to Kenya to protect themselves.

The Horn of Africa researcher for Amnesty, Martin Hill, says the transitional federal government, known as the TFG, has been unable to stem the violence even though it is supported by Ethiopian troops who invaded in December.

"This is partly the product of a situation of absence of rule of law," said Hill. "There is a new TFG police force, but with very weak capacity and there is a conflict raging in parts of Mogadishu between TFG forces supported by Ethiopian troops and those who are opposed to it."

The most shocking of the violence occurred early last month, when two HornAfrik reporters were killed on the same day. The first was shot in the head as he went to work and the second died in a roadside bombing as he returned from the funeral.

And just a couple of weeks ago, a new governor in central Somalia ordered HornAfrik to stop its work in his area and arrested two reporters. There have also been death threats and jailings of several other reporters.

Amnesty argues the continuing violence clearly violates the rights to free expression spelled out in the transitional government's charter. Hill says it is unclear who's responsible, though he does not suspect the transitional government.

"The assailants have not been identified," said Hill. "In general, though the government has had criticisms and actions against journalists, this has usually been resolved after negotiations² in a day or two, so it is difficult to know who has been responsible or whether it is all by some opposition³ groups when the media criticize one or the other."

Soon after Amnesty released its statement, the International PEN society, a worldwide association of writers, issued its own plea for an end to the violence against journalists in Somalia.

It condemned⁴ what it says is a "new wave" of attacks, killings⁵ and arrests. One journalist was beaten severely⁶ last week as he walked home from work.

Somalia has been without a functioning government since dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted⁷ in 1991. A loose coalition⁸ of Islamic groups known as the Islamic Courts Union restored some order last year but the Islamists were ousted when Ethiopian troops invaded in December, 2006.

1 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。