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Somalia: journalist killed by car bomb
TV journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed, also known as Gabow, was killed by an explosive device planted beneath the driver’s seat of his car in Mogadishu’s Madina district on 11 December.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemned the attack, joining its affiliate the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) in mourning the death of another journalist in Somalia and called on the authorities to take urgent action to protect media workers.
Media reports say that Mohamed Ibrahim, 28, had taken a break from work on Monday in order to spend time with his children. The bomb exploded shortly after he got into the car around 17:43 local time. NUSOJ says that Mohamed Ibrahim died immediately. No group or individual claimed responsibility for the killing.
Mohamed Ibrahim was a news anchor working for privately-owned Kalsan TV, reporting primarily on political issues.
‘We send our deepest sympathy to Gabow’s family and colleagues,’ said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger. ‘We are witnesses of targeted killings of journalists and persistent attempts to silence their voices around the world. Such attacks and assassinations endanger press freedom. Governments and authorities of each country must send a clear signal that murders of media workers will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be punished. Thus the IFJ demands an immediate and thorough investigation in to Mohamed Ibrahim’s death.’
Somalia is among the target countries of the IFJ’s End Impunity campaign. At least 62 journalists have been killed in the last ten years. Journalists are often harassed, threatened and killed with no criminal prosecution of the perpetrators.
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