The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned another brutal assassination of Ahmed Addow Anshur, 25, a Radio Shabelle journalist who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen yesterday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
“We are outraged by the continuous killings of journalists in Somalia recently,” said Gabriel Baglo, IFJ Africa Director. “There seems to be open season on journalists in Somalia and the African leaders should do something about this situation.”
According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate, “Ahmed Addow Anshur, 25, was murdered on Thursday, 24 May 2012, by four men armed with pistols in Suq Bo’le neighbourhood of Dharkenley district at around 13:45 hours local time. Anshur was shot four times in the head and chest resulting him to die on the spot.”
NUSOJ, which condemned the killing, said that Anshur had voiced concerns for his security and feared for his life. The journalist, who specialised in investigating and reporting on corruption for Radio Shabelle, was also the presenter of a popular evening programme ‘Qubanaha Wararka, meaning in English ‘news content’ had received several death threats prior to his murder.
“Ahmed Addow Anshur worked as a journalist over the years and was lauded for his high professional quality and integrity. It is obvious that he was murdered in the exercise of his professional work as a journalist so that he does not expose uncomfortable truth,”said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.
Ahmed Addow Anshur is the third Radio Shabelle journalis killed this year and the sixth journalist murdered in Somalia in 2012. He leaves behind a pregnant wife.
The IFJ joins NUSOJ to call on Transitional Federal Government and the African Union Peacekeeping troops in Mogadishu to act firmly and urgently to dispel the climate of impunity for attacks on journalists.
For more information, please contact IFJ on +221- 33 867 95 87
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries