14 journalists killed in Somalia since January 2012

By Godfrey Olukya  24-9-2012

Journalists in Somalia are living in fear of being killed after 4 of their colleagues were shot dead last week bringing the number of journalists killed since the beginning of this year to 14.

At first three journalists were killed in double suicide bomb attack at a restaurant called The Village in Mogadishu on Thursday evening and six others were also wounded in this villainous attack. The following day another one was also shot dead.

‘Four of our fellow  journalists were killed in Mogadishu last week,’ said Habib Farah, a free lance journalist in Somalia.’ We are now living in fear. Anytime we may be shot dead. We appeal to security agencies to get rid of those killing us. So far 14 journalist have been killed in this year’ he added.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has condemned the murder of the journalists.The organization’s secretary general, Omar Farouk said,’Among those killed last week was Hassan Yusuf Absuge, head of programme at popular  Radio Maanta. He was reportedly shot dead by men armed with pistols in Mogadishu. ‘

He said that it shocked journalists who has just attended the burial of their three fellow journalists who had died in bombs attack to learn that a fourth pressman had also been killed.

He said,’We have lost a friend. We extend our deepest condolences to Hassan Yusuf Absuge’s family. It is very miserable and viciousness that when journalists attended the burial of three of their colleagues, they heard another colleague was also killed,” said Omar Farouk

Farouk rubbished allegations by Al-Shabaab militants group which claimed the responsibility of the killing of Hassan Yusuf Absuge saying that he was killed because  he was working as spy against Allah’s forces. He said reasons given for his killing by militants are not only baseless but also inhumane.

Journalists in Somalia accuse the government of not doing enough to protect them and also for failing to arrest the killers.

END