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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Somali gov't handled security, not private militia

The security detail for the recent Malaysian mission to Somalia was provided by the Somali government itself, said Kelab Putra 1Malaysia president Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

He denied reports that they were being escorted by a private militia during the killing of Bernama TV cameraperson Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, stressing that they were in fact surrounded by 60 Somali police and military personnel.

putera umno kpg attap abdul azeez pc 040708 03"They were from the government. We had another 30 stationed at the hotel where we were staying.

"The Somali government afforded us protection even from the airport itself," Abdul Azeez (right) said at a press conference during a luncheon with mission volunteers and journalists in honour of Noramfaizul.

The 41 year old was killed late last week after a stray bullet hit him and punctured his lung while he was sitting in a four-wheel-drive vehicle in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital.

It was reported that the bullet was fired by African Union peacekeepers during a firefight, though no official reason has been given as yet.

A TV3 journalist, Aji Saregar Mazlan, was also injured during the incident, where witnesses said they heard two shots fired.

Abdul Azeez, who is also an Umno supreme council member, pointed out that the Malaysian mission adhered closely to the standard operating procedures (SOP) and instructions of the Somali government on security.

He claimed that the Somali government had dismissed the need for bullet proof vests, despite his asking about them several times.

Abdul Azeez added that it was on the advice of the Somali government that they periodically switched vehicles, to avoid being targets during their stay in Mogadishu, the country's capital.

"They told us not to put any media stickers, and not to put up our flag to avoid people confusing us with the Americans," he said.

'He died in my arms'

Abdul Azeez however said that no party was to be blamed for Noramfaizul's death, which he said happened as they were approaching a designated safe zone.

noramfaizul mohd norHe said the stray bullet had entered from under the vehicle Noramfaizul (left) was in, ricocheting off the spare tyre before entering the passenger cabin.

"He was hit in his armpit before the bullet went out the window... He died in my arms just as the barricade (to the safe zone) went up," Abdul Azeez claimed.

Abdul Azeez said both Kelab Putra and the Somali government had done everything humanly possible to ensure security, putting Noramfaizul's death down to fate.

When asked about the short notice given to journalists who had gone with the mission to Somalia, Abdul Azeez said it was "normal" for his club to issue invitations at the last minute due to the nature of humanitarian missions.

It is understood that journalists who had gone on the mission had a week or less to prepare for the trip, with some mainstream dailies choosing not to send any representatives due to the short notice given.

"It's normal. This is how we do things. When dealing with disasters, you cannot wait too long," he said.

The Malaysian mission to Somalia comprised 55 people, including 18 journalists, and was supposed to have spent 11 days from Aug 28 to Sept 8 handing out a total of 550 tonnes of food, or around 60 days worth of rations for 55,000 families suffering from famine.

The mission was cut short following Noramfaizul's death, with the group returning to Malaysia with the former's remains on Sept 4.

Pro-journalists' rights group Reporters without Borders has ranked Somalia as the deadliest African country for journalists, with 23 so far having been killed while on assignment there since 2007.

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