killing spree continues on somali journalist and ex journalist

[walaalkis]

If you are someone important in Mogadishu , make sure you have armed skinnies around your shoulders.

Where is the justice, no one was brought to court or ever caught on these criminal act.

 

 

 

Former Somaliweyn radio director Abokar Hassan Gadaf was fatally shot in Wadajir district at about 6:00pm (1500 GMT) on Tuesday evening

. Three men with pistols opened fire on the journalist as he was knocking on the door of his home, according to family members and witnesses.

 

"Three people armed with pistols approached and shot him several times in the head and chest. He was standing in front of his home and was knocking on the door," Mohamed Dahir, a neighbor, told Somalia Report.

 

The murderers escaped quickly. A local militia loyal to the Wadajir governor has begun searching in the area, although no suspects have yet been captured. Abukar, father of four, was rushed to Madina Hospital where he was later confirmed dead from wounds.

 

Qaali Mo’alin, a female journalist working for the local FM station Radio Shabelle, which lost journalist Hassan Osman Abdi on the first day of 2012, told Somalia Report that she and colleagues were shocked and angered saying, “this is a double outrage, sad both for us and his family members. However, it will not stop us from reporting, even though we know that several senior media workers have been killed in Somalia since 2007.” On January 28, Hassan Osman (better known as 'Hassan Fantastic'), the director of Mogadishu-based Radio Shabelle, was shot and killed by gunmen while returning home in Wadajir district of Mogadishu.

 

“It is really a heartbreaking moment for us, and I cannot talk too much about him at the moment,” said one of the relatives for the late journalist, who asked not to be named. “I’m not sure if Abokar Hassan Gadaf has been involved in journalism since Somaliweyn radio was taken by al-Shabaab,” he added.

 

Another family member said Abokar had shown determination not to be deterred from activism by the threats from al-Shabaab. “After al-Shabaab fighters looted the radio station, they have been calling him and threatening, but he did not allow that to stop him. He was working with local NGOs in Mogadishu that al-Shabaab accuses of covertly support Western ideology and being against Islam,” Nuur Hajji told Somalia Report.

 

According to a relative, Kadaf was working as ex-Banadir coordinator for youths. Ex-Banadir is one of local NGOs in Mogadishu that organizes for peace. He was believed to be the organizer of several rallies in Mogadishu against the al-Shabaab militants that were attended by Banadir administrative officials.

 

Somaliweyn was an independent FM radio station, which was looted two years ago by al-Shabaab who took transmitters and computers. Since the closure of the radio station, Abokar has been involved in advocating for peace in Somalia, working with non-governmental organizations and civil society groups.

 

The governor of Wadajir district Ahmed Hassan Addow condemned the shooting, saying " We are currently investigating, and what we know for now is only that armed militias killed Abukar. We are investigating and will release the results of our investigations in a day or two. For now, know that we will not stop until we capture the murderers, who I think are hidden in the district and our security forces are busy hunting for them.”

 

Somalia Report contacted TFG Deputy Minister of Information Bile Nuur ***** for further details, but he declined to make a statement at this time, saying only that they are investigating and will issue a statement on the shooting later.

 

Kidnapping, torture, death threats and other intimidations are sadly part of life as a journalist in most of Somalia. Reporters Without Borders indicates that 11 journalists have been killed in just the past two years in Somalia, and this will be the third murder of a prominent journalist in 2012.