'There's nothing I can do to stop the threats' - BBC reporter discusses the dangers of working in Somalia

As the main English-language reporter for the BBC in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia, Mohamed Olad Hassan has survived shrapnel wounds, bomb explosions and threats to this life. But none of these dangers have stopped his aim "to inform the world, to tell the truth and help bring peace and democracy to my own country".

Earlier this month Hassan received the Speaker Abbot Award given out by the UK's Parliamentary Press Gallery by the Speaker of the House of Commons each year to an individual who has shown outstanding courage in the pursuit of journalism.

"Mohamed is the voice of the voiceless in Somalia. Due to the deteriorating security situation in Somalia in the last few years many journalists have fled the country leaving a huge vacuum of credible and reliable information. Indeed Mohamed himself joined the BBC because our previous long serving reporter was forced to flee after receiving direct threats on his life. A number of journalists and media professionals have been killed in recent months in Somalia (...) The BBC strongly supports Mohamed in his work and regularly strives to ensure his good health and safety in Mogadishu," says Joseph Warungu, head of African News and Current Affairs at the BBC World Service, in his award citation.

Hassan has worked for the BBC since 2003, having previously worked for the Somali Television Network and Radio Horn Afrik. Primarily a radio journalist he has freelanced for international media, including the African Press Agency and the Associated Press. His work has covered events ranging from battles between Islamic militia and African peacekeeping forces in the country to Somalia's reaction to Barack Obama's election.

Journalism.co.uk spoke to Hassan via email to find out more about his award-winning work:

What is it like working as a journalist in Somalia?
[MH] Working in Somali as a journalist is a very risky job - it is a matter if life and death. Journalists should think more about their safety and less about duty and story ideas. You cannot have a work plan when everything depends on security and how the day turns out for you.

You receive phone call threats and SMS messages calling you "a Western spy". Some of them tell you what you were wearing and where you have been - sometimes they terrorise you and you have to change position with guards and take care of all the people moving around you.

The problem we have is that you do not know where your enemy is coming from or what he looks like.

Have you ever felt under threat because you are a journalist? If so, what makes you continue?
Threats are one of the ways I get information, as I get calls informing us something has happened and I should follow up. We get tired of it and stop thinking about them - all I do is look after my safety - there's nothing else I can do to stop the threats as long as I am committed to work .

What makes me continue my job is that I don't want to let the criminals repress the media in my country, so that they are able to continue to torment my people in front of the rest of the world and go unreported - what motivates me is to be a voice for the voiceless and keep my fight for freedom and to see Somalia one day returning to peace.

What are the big news issues for citizens in Somalia?
People are worried about the fighting and so they would like to hear more about the fighting, but they also like to know any information from the international community concerning Somalia. They would like constructive reports that show hope for Somalia and that support peace. They often listen to FM radios since radios are portable and they like watching TV.

Somalia deserves a bigger place on the world's news agenda because of the growing terrorist threat to the entire region of East Africa.

Hassan was due to collect his award from Speaker Bercow on June 14 but was unable to enter the UK after being denied a VISA. More to follow on this from Journalism.co.uk shortly.

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