Slain Somali journalist must not become another statistic - CPJ calls for probe

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has charged Somali authorities to ‘thoroughly and credibly’ investigate the killing of a radio journalist, Abdiaziz Ali, and to swiftly bring his killers to justice.

“The killing of Somali journalist Abdiaziz Ali must not be allowed to become yet another statistic in a country notorious for not bringing journalists’ murderers to justice.

“We urge Somali authorities to leave no stone unturned in determining the motive for Abdiaziz’s and Sagal’s killings and finding and prosecuting those responsible,” said Murithi Mutiga, CPJ’s East Africa representative.

Ali was shot dead in the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen. The assailants fled the scene immediately, Police Major Mohamed Nur told Reuters.

BREAKING: Somali broadcaster Abdiaziz Ali Haji assassinated, 13th journalist lost by Shabelle radio. photo/Farah/AP. pic.twitter.com/alboN92sMV

— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) September 27, 2016

Abukar Sheikh, manager of Radio Shabelle where Abdiaziz works confirmed the incident saying “unidentified men armed with pistols killed our colleague this evening”.

In June, Sagal Salad Osman, who worked for state-run Radio Mogadishu, was also killed as she left her university campus.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) released a statement condemning the killing and appealed to the government to urgently investigate and punish the perpetrators.

“We are quite sorry that attacks against journalists still continue in Somalia and this is indeed unacceptable for all of us,” Mahir Jama Aden, President of NUSOJ said.

Somali authorities have repeatedly shut down Radio Shabelle and arrested its staff, and its journalists have often been targeted and killed, CPJ research shows.

CPJ ranked Somalia as the worst offender in its 2015 Global Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are slain and killers go free.