Broadcast journalist shot in Galkayo

Witnesses said four unidentified assailants shot and killed the journalist, Ali Ahmed Abdi, 20-25, near Hotel Guhaad, on his way home after returning from his work place on Sunday night in the town of Galkacyo, controlled by the Puntland authorities.

"The assailants shot three bullets; two on the head and one on the chest," said an eyewitness journalist who only gave his name Guled.

He was rushed to Galkacyo General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear the reason behind the killing. No group had claimed the responsibility of the attack.

Late Abdi had worked both Radio Galkacyo and a news website Puntlandi.com.

"We condemn the shooting to death of our colleague and call for the Puntland authorities to probe into independent investigations into the killing of the journalist and bring the killers to justice." Mohamed Ibrahim, the secretary general of the NUSOJ said, "We express our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families and friends of late Abdi and may Allah rest his soul in Jannah."

"It is extremely unacceptable to single out and murder the media workers on their daily basis, an act which proves the poor record of freedom of expression, while the safety of the journalists at stake." Ibrahim added.

The town of Galkacyo, the regional capital of Mudug region, has been a restive and divided town controlled by both Puntland and Galmudug administrations, where piracy and insurgency is on the rise.

The murder of the journalist is the second in a week and the third killed in Somalia this year. On 28 February 2012, Abukar Mohamoud Kadaf who was the director of Somaliweyn Radio was killed by two unknown gunmen in front of his house in Wadajir neighborhood in Mogadishu.

The murder against the journalist seems to have increased recently and that no one has been punished for the killing of the journalists.

Source: allAfrica.com