The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the assassination of the veteran journalist Sheik Nur Mohamed Abkey, 52, who worked for Radio Mogadishu – Voice of Somali Republic, a government owned Radio station and whose body was found mutilated and riddled with bullets in the street of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

“Media community in Somali once more mourns the loss of a colleague to mindless violence and bloodshed in the country,” declared Gabriel Baglo, Director of IFJ Africa Office “Like previous ones, this shocking murder will not discourage Somali journalists from fighting for their freedom and for the public’s right to information and knowledge .”

Media reports in Somalia say Sheik Nur Mohamed Abkey was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday 4 May near the Bakara market as he was returning home from work. His body was later found showing signs of torture and multiple gunwounds.

According to witnesses, Al Shabaab militia made a telephone call to the radio station during which they claimed Abkey’s kidnapping and warned they would kill him after the sunset prayer. Local sources link his murder to his employment in one of the radio stations which are critical of the radical islamists.

The National Union of Somali Journalists, an IFJ affiliate, also condemned the murder.

“The loss of this experienced journalist is heartbreaking for his family and colleagues, but it is also a blow to the entire Somali people,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. “We call again on all sides in the conflict to stop manipulating media to suit their own political interests which became major source of media victims,” he added.

Last year, nine journalists were killed in Somalia and, until now, none of these crimes have been solved, making Somalia the most dangerous country in Africa.

IFJ renews its call for an international action in order to put an end to the blind and sectarian violence prevailing in Somalia so that the journalists who have already paid a very heavy price can finally do their work freely. The IFJ invites the Transitional Federal Government to make the safety of journalists a high priority.

For more information, contact +221 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide