The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has expressed great shock and outrage over the murder of young radio journalist in Galkayo, Mudug region.

Ali Ahmed Abdi, 26, was shot dead by unknown hooded gunmen while walking in Is-Raac neighborhood of northern Galkayo around Hotel Guure. He was a reporter for Radio Galkayo until recently.

“This is an outrageous and brazen act of cruelty committed against a young journalist and his killers must not be held above the law,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.

Ali Ahmed Abdi was a member of NUSOJ northeastern branch and has been campaigning for seeking justice for victim journalists after his colleague Horriyo Abdulkadir of Radio Galkayo was fatally wounded in the same town.

“It is very urgent that those who care Somalia and its journalism community to send a clear message that those who murder, threaten or harm Somali journalists, no matter if they are politicians or rogue elements, that they will be brought to justice and are not immune from prosecution,” said Osman.

“It is very agonizing period that we have lost a colleague in every single month of this a year. We repeat that targeting Somali journalists for carrying out their professional duties must be ended and all Somali journalists must be able to work in safe conditions and not fear reprisal,” added Osman.

This death brings the total number of Somali journalists killed in this year to three as Abdi sadly becomes 30th journalist murdered in Somalia since 2007. On 28 February, Abukar Hassan Mohamoud Kadaf, Director of Somaliweyn Radio, was murdered at his home in Mogadishu.

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Reporters Without Borders is stunned to learn that Abukar Hassan Mohamoud, the manager of Mogadishu-based radio Somaliweyn, was shot dead on February 28 outside his home in the capital’s Aargada district by two men armed with pistols.

The press freedom organization condemns his cold-blooded murder, which joins a long list of crimes of violence against journalists in Somalia, and reiterates its call to the international community to do everything possible to ensure that these killings do not go unpunished.

“We offer our most since condolences to Mohamoud’s family, colleagues and friends,” Reporters Without Borders said. “This murder is the latest example of the extraordinary violence to which journalists are exposed in Somalia. Indifference to the fate of Somali journalists must stop. We reiterate our call for an independent international commission of enquiry into crimes against journalists in this country.”

Nicknamed Kadaf, Mohamoud was a long-standing member of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), a Reporters Without Borders partner organization. He had participated in all the NUSOJ campaigns calling for journalists to be protected against harassment and physical attack and he courageously never hesitated to lend his name to statements condemning each of the murders of his colleagues. Aged 43, he had a wife and two daughters.

He was the second journalist to be murdered this year, following Shabelle Media Network director Hassan Osman Abdi, who was shot dead outside his Mogadishu home by five unidentified gunmen on 28 January.

Somalia has for years been the deadliest country in Africa for journalists. According to the monitoring of Reporters Without Borders and NUSOJ, four journalists were killed in 2011, three were killed in 2010 and nine were killed in 2009.

Just a week ago, Reporters Without Borders wrote to the participants in the London conference on Somalia to remind them about violence against journalists and request the creation of an independent international commission of enquiry into all the abuses against media personnel in Somalia: http://en.rsf.org/somalia-open-letter-to-delegations-22-02-2012,41922.html

Image Courtesy of   http://www.fesoj.org

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