Attacks on the Press - Committee to Protect Journalists

attacks on the press in 2009journalists killed: somaliaSOMALIA: 9Hassan Mayow HassanRadio ShabelleJanuary 1, 2009, AfgoyeHassan, 36, a Radio Shabelle correspondentsince 2006 in the town of Afgoye,20 miles (30 kilometers) south ofthe capital, Mogadishu, was shot deadwhen he entered the town at around10 a.m., local journalists told CPJ. Hewas stopped by government soldierswho accused him of collaborating withIslamic insurgent groups before one ofthem shot him twice in the head, thejournalists said eyewitnesses told them.According to a Radio Shabelle editor,Abdi Nasir, Hassan was en routeto a news conference when he waskilled. He had produced many reportson the humanitarian situation in theregion, including critical stories aboutthe army’s harassment of civilians inthe area, the journalists said.“If there is any evidence of wrongdoingby a government soldier or officer,we will investigate,” then-Minister ofInformation Ahmed Abdisalam toldCPJ. No arrests were reported. Hassanwas survived by a wife and five children.Said Tahlil Ahmed, HornAfrikFebruary 2, 2009, MogadishuMasked gunmen repeatedly shotTahlil, director of the independentbroadcaster HornAfrik, as he andseveral other senior journalists werewalking through the Bakara Marketarea of the capital, according to CPJinterviews and news accounts.The journalists had been summonedto a meeting with members ofAl-Shabaab, a militant Islamist groupthat was apparently displeased withcoverage of the January 31 presidentialelection won by Sheikh Sharif SheikhAhmed, a moderate Islamic leader. Al-Shabaab had rejected the election andconsidered the newly elected leader tobe a puppet of the West.The other journalists escaped withoutserious injury, but Tahlil died atthe scene. In a telephone interview,an Al-Shabaab spokesman denied responsibilityfor the murder.Tahlil became director of HornAfrikafter the company’s founder, Ali Sharmarke,was killed in an August 2007roadside bomb attack in Mogadishu.The director was best known for hisFriday news program in which he discussedthe week’s top issues. He wassurvived by a wife and eight children.Abdirisak Mohamed WarsameRadio ShabelleMay 22, 2009, MogadishuWarsame, 24, was shot in crossfirebetween Transitional Federal Governmentforces and hard-line Islamic insurgentsin the capital as he was walkingto Radio Shabelle for his morningbroadcast, local journalists told CPJ.According to local journalists, thefighting prevented anyone from attendingto Warsame for more than halfan hour. The reporter, described as a“workaholic” by colleagues, was survivedby his wife of six months.Nur Muse Hussein, Radio IQKMay 26, 2009, BeledweynHussein died from gunshot woundssuffered while covering fighting inApril. A veteran correspondent forRadio IQK, he suffered two bulletwounds to his right leg while reportingon clashes between militia groupsin the central town of Beledweyn onApril 20, according to the NationalUnion of Somali Journalists.Local journalist Abdel Rahim Dinnitold CPJ that Hussein died in his home.One of the most senior journalists workingin the region, he had started his careerin 1970 as a reporter for the SomaliNational News Agency, the news Website Mareeg reported. He was survivedby a wife and five children.Mukhtar Mohamed HirabeRadio ShabelleJune 8, 2009, MogadishuHirabe, 48, was shot several times in thehead by unidentified gunmen as he anda colleague, Ahmed Omar Hashi, werewalking to work in the capital, local journaliststold CPJ. Hashi, 41, was shot inthe stomach and hand but survived.A veteran Radio Shabelle reporter,Hirabe took up the role as station directorafter the former director, SaidTahlil Ahmed, was murdered in February.A popular journalist, Hirabe hadled a charity drive to help displaced So-mali children in 2006. He was survivedby two wives and five children.Mohamud Mohamed YusufRadio IQKJuly 4, 2009, MogadishuYusuf, 22, was killed in crossfireshortly after presenting the morningnews on Radio IQK in northernMogadishu. Local journalists said thefighting was so intense that Yusuf, hittwice in the stomach, was unattendedfor roughly three hours. The journalistwas eventually taken to Medina Hospitalbut died from blood loss.Yusuf worked at Radio IQK, a privateradio station also referred to asHoly Quran Radio, for three years asa reporter, a presenter, and, occasionally,a producer, the National Union ofSomali Journalists reported. He wassurvived by a wife and three children.Abdulkhafar Abdulkadir, freelanceMohamed Amin, Radio ShabelleHassan Zubeyr, Al-ArabiyaDecember 3, 2009, MogadishuThree journalists were killed in a suicidebomb attack at a Benadir Universitygraduation ceremony in the capital,Mogadishu. In all, the explosion claimedthe lives of at least 23 people, includingseveral top government officials,according to news reports. Zubeyr, acameraman for Al-Arabiya television,and Amin, a Radio Shabelle reporter,were pronounced dead at the scene. Abdulkadir,a freelance photographer, died2682 6 9