Somalia: Prominent Somali Journalist assassinated in Mogadishu,

Somalia: Prominent Somali Journalist assassinated in Mogadishu,

Mogadishu, Dec. 18, 2011

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) mourns the loss of
the Prominent freelance journalist, who was killed in what seemed a
targeted assassination in Mogadishu on Sunday afternoon, around 4:00pm
local time.

Witnesses  said that a man uniformed in  military camouflage shot at
the journalists’ car passing by between Hamarjajab road junction and
Hotel Madina around 4:00pm local time. Apparently, that bullet hit the
head of journalist  Abdisalan Sheik Hassan better known as “Xiis”, a
freelance journalist who worked both HornCable Television and Hamar
Radio, Voice of Democracy (VoD). Witnesses also that that the
journalists have left the Television station, minutes before the
attack, to have tea at a cafeteria in Hamarweyne, a nearby
neighborhood

“There were no signs of warning. Nobody stopped us.” Zakariye
Abdulkadir Abdullahi, head of human resource office of the HornCable
Television said “I only heard one shot and our car turned off the road
and hit the wall.”

“Suddenly, I was shocked when I saw my colleague bleeding in the
head.” Mr. Zakariye said

Mr. Zakariye said that he immediately sought help in shock and
returned to the Television station nearby, where along with some other
colleagues rushed the wounded journalist to the Daarul Shifa Hospital
in Hodan neighborhood and  after 15 minutes transferred to Madina
Hospital, where Late Abdisalam died upon arrival.

On late Sunday afternoon, journalists along with NUSOJ officials
carried the body of slain colleague to his home, where he will be
taken on Monday for funeral burial.

Late Abdisalan Sheik Hassan (Xiis), 38yrs, will be the third
journalist killed in Mogadishu this year alone. He left behind a wife
and four children, three baby daughters and a son, among them newly
baby daughter born.

It was not immediately clear the reason behind the killing of the
journalist,  but many journalists believe that his killing is
politically motivated.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) called the attack
barbaric and targeted attack meant to intimidate and threaten the
freedom of the press and called urgent investigation into the death of
the journalist. NUSOJ on behalf of the Somali journalists sent sincere
condolences to the families, colleagues and friends who will miss Late
Abdisalam,

 “We condemn the shooting incident that led to the death of the
journalist in the strongest terms possible and call for the
Transitional Federal Government to investigate the matter urgently.”
Abdurashid Abdulle Abikar, NUSOJ treasurer who briefed the journalist
at  the hospital said  “I send my sincere condolences to the families
and friends of our slain colleague.”

Colleagues who knew late Abdisalam said that he was quit, social,
frank and laughing and wished him rest in paradise.

“He was the best journalist I worked with during the the two years he
worked in the Radio.”  Abdirahman Yasin, Director of Radio Hamar,
Voice of Democracy,  said, “He was frank, social and we really miss
him, May Allah give him paradise.”

On August 4, 2011, Farah Hassan Sahal, Logistics Manager and driver of
SIMBA radio was killed by sniper believed to have fired by the African
Union mission in Somalia, at the radio compound in Mogadishu's Bakara
market, while trying along with other media executives, to move the
radio equipment into the safer zones of Mogadishu, according to the
Director of the SIMBA Radio, Abdullahi Ali Farah.

On Sept. 2, 2011, a Malaysian journalist, Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, 41, a
cameraman for the Malaysian National News Agency was shot to death and
Aji Saregar Mazlan, A TV3 journalist was wounded after shooting
incident took place in KM4 area.  The African Union Mission in Somalia
acknowledged the responsibility of the killing.

More Updates, photos and the funeral coverage will follow soon on our
website: http://www.nusoj.org.so