Somalia: Impunity for crimes against journalists must end

Monday 23 Sep 2024 {HMC} Several commemorations of unsolved murders of journalists are commemorated in September

The IPI global network reiterates its previous calls on the Somali authorities to end impunity in the country.

The situation of press freedom in Somalia remains of grave concern, as journalists continue to face intimidation and threats from both the Somali government and the militant group Al-Shabaab. In addition to verbal and physical threats, journalists in Somalia also face persecution, unlawful arrests and censorship.

Impunity for attacks on the press remains alarmingly high. In particular, most killings of journalists in Somalia remain unsolved. Even in the few cases where investigations have taken place, accountability is rare and perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.

According to UNESCO’s Observatory for Killed Journalists, 79 journalists have been killed in Somalia since 1993. Of those 54, the cause of death remains unresolved.

As we commemorate the anniversaries of several killings of journalists this month, IPI reiterates our previous call on the authorities to thoroughly and transparently investigate all killings of journalists and hold perpetrators accountable.

Commemorations of the murders of several journalists in September

Nearly a year ago, IPI, in partnership with the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), expressed concern about the lack of progress in 11 unresolved cases and urged authorities to take stronger measures to protect journalists.

The oldest of these cases dates back to 2016, but little to no progress has been made. This investigation into the authorities has gone unanswered. Now that another year has passed without justice, IPI demands that the authorities put an end to impunity in Somalia.

This September marks the commemorations of several unsolved murders of journalists in Somalia, including:

On September 19, 2018, Radio Codka Nabadda journalist Abdirisak Said Osman was attacked by a group of unknown assailants on his way home from work. He was stabbed and beaten with sticks, and eventually died of internal bleeding.

The motive for the attack remains unclear, but Abdirisak had been reporting on a series of stories of insecurity in Galkayo, central Somalia. In these reports, he interviewed local residents who expressed concerns about criminal gangs and terrorists, with some identifying the militant group Al-Shabaab as a major source of insecurity in the area.

On September 27, 2016, Abdiasis Mohamed Ali, who presented the morning news program for Radio Shabelle, was shot dead by two gunmen on motorcycles while he was driving through northern Mogadishu. The motive behind his killing is unknown.

On September 30, 2022, Ahmed Mohamed Shukur, a journalist and cameraman for Somali National Television (SNTV), was killed in an improvised explosive device attack while covering a military operation against Al-Shabaab in the city of Basra, near Mogadishu.

He was on his way to report on a counter-terrorism operation when the incident occurred.

Lack of progress

According to IPI research, there has been no movement in these cases and no one has been held to account for these crimes. As we highlighted in our letter last year, Somalia’s Federal Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Somalia is also a signatory to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Article 9 of the Charter explicitly protects freedom of the media.

These commitments oblige the Somali government to ensure press freedom and the safety of journalists, including investigating crimes against them and prosecuting those responsible.

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