The government has vowed to stop attacks against journalists, but so far little action has been taken.

 

Somali  Media Freedom Defender sends its deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of Mohamed Ibrahim and it the government led by president Hassan has too take tangible steps to eliminate the perpetrators who target journalists by ensuring those responsible for Mohamed's death are brought to the justice as soon as possible.

Mohamed, along with 14-other journalists, had fled from Mogadishu city in 2009 in order to get safety and he lived in  exile in Kampala, Uganda, returning only recently to Somalia, local journalists to survive his pregnant wife and two daughters.

Since  Mogadishu still remains violent and this brutal action  has coincided  while last week gunmen attacked Somalia's Supreme Court complex, massacring at least 35- individuals including former journalist Mohamed Hassan Habeeb and well-known lawyers Mohamed Mohamud Afrah  and Abikarin Hassan Gorad. The two lawyers were known for their role in  defending Abdiaziz Abdinuur,  Somali journalist who was imprisoned earlier this year for interviewing an alleged rape victim.

 
Mohamed Ibrahim Rage, who worked for the station, at his home in the capital Sunday. He had reportedly received death threats in the past, and had recently returned to Somalia after living abroad, according to local media.

Working as a reporter is a dangerous job in Mogadishu. Last year, 18 media workers were killed, most in targeted killings.

"The supposed improvement in security in Mogadishu is for the time being still very fragile," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement. "The Somali capital continues to be one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists."

Last month, a suicide car bomber targeting Mogadishu intelligence chief killed six people, including a radio reporter and the government has vowed to stop attacks against journalists, but so far little action has been taken.

Somali journalists  in exile in Uganda condemn the murder in the strongest terms possible and call for an urgent investigations in the murder case.

Ahmed-sadik Mohamed, Somali journalist activist said, “ On behalf of Somali exiled journalists, I mourn for his loss and send my sincere condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of Late Mohamed Ibrahim Rage.”

 

Government of Somalia to take immediate action to improve security of media workers

Kampala:- EAHRDP DR Executive Director Dr. Hassan Shire Sheikh and Rory Peck Trust Nicolas Rouger Program Officer for Africa  with Somali Journalists in Uganda have Sent condolence with Killing of Mohamed Ibrahim Rage, a newscaster, reporter and program producer for Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television (SNTV) – government managed media, who was killed Mogadishu.

Mr. Rage had received threats in the past and had just returned to Somalia after fleeing abroad for safety reasons. He is the second journalist to be killed in connection with his work in Somalia since the start of the year.”

Relatives said Rage was gunned down outside the door to his home in Ma’ma’anka neighborhood, in the Dharkenley district of Mogadishu, at around 6:00p local time. The two gunmen shot him seven times in the chest and head before fleeing.

Rage had recently returned to Somalia after several years in Uganda. In 2009, he resigned as a Radio Shabelle Media and he is the fourth journalist to be killed in Somalia since the start of 2013, but only the second to have been targeted in connection with his journalistic work. A total of 18 journalists were killed in Somalia in 2012, making it the world’s deadliest country for media personnel.

On the other side the EU Special Envoy to Somalia, Michele Cervone, condemns the atrocious assassination of Mohamed Ibrahim Rage, senior journalist and reporter of Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television (SNTV), on 21 April in Mogadishu

He expresses his sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Mohamed Ibrahim Rage. Rage is the fourth journalist to be killed in Somalia this year. It follows a gruesome series of targeted attacks against media workers over the last two years and it sadly shows that Somalia remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to operate in. The EU Special Envoy calls upon the Government of Somalia to take immediate action to improve security of media workers and to operationalise the announced Task Force on the investigation of the killings of journalists and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In carrying out their task in informing the Somali public, journalists are actively participating in the building of a free and democratic Somali society. Failure to protect media workers puts at risk the freedom of expression, one of the fundamental Human Rights, and therefore impedes Somalia’s reconstruction. 

The European Union stands ready to support the Government of Somalia in guaranteeing the safety of journalists and addressing press freedom violations as a whole.

SMFD pays tribute to Somali brave journalists who lost their lives while on duty in Somalia

Somalia is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists to operate, three journalists including female killed in Somalia so far this year.

 Last year was recorded as one of the deadliest years for journalists in the country since the government has promised to take action against those who kill journalists, but so far no arrests have yet been made for any of the journalist deaths in 2012.
 
 

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), "Somalia” was among the world's deadliest countries in the world.

 

Somali journalists do believe that they are killed because of their profession in spite of that, they should not quit their job for fear of  anyone who is their enemy because they  are be acquainted with that they are serving the people by  providing  society access to the news and the truth behind what is happening in the country.

 

Every morning, as journalists leave their residence to go to work without knowing whether they will return safely or not.

 It is a very difficult environment and security is not guaranteed for those working in the different types of media in Somali and they often receive phone calls from unknown individuals threatening to kill them.

All these caused by insecurity and a failed government for last two decades, journalists have been sucked into the mess

Being a journalist in Somalia is possibly the toughest and most risky job in the world. More than 50-journalists have lost their lives since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991.

Somali Media Freedom Defender pays tribute to the brave Journalists killed while on duty in Somalia.

 

 

  

SMFD is so sad and disheartening for the journalists considering the odds that are facing their profession. It pays tribute to these brave men and women who lost their lives as these pictures show us. This means that working in Somalia as journalist is very hard work which needs braveness and talent.

 

SMFD also calls on Somali government to take procedures to protect Journalists though on 5 February, Somalia Prime-Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Sa’id launched an Independent Task Force on Human Rights to tackle what he called a “culture of impunity” in relation to human rights abuses in Somalia.

A 13 member taskforce will investigate a broad range of human rights abuses, including the killing of journalist and also recently offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the "successful conviction of a journalist killer to reduce meaningless killing of Somali journalists.

Mohammed Nuxurkey Benefit

Organized by Gabriel Joselow

On Monday, March 18 a car bomb exploded in downtown Mogadishu.  The attackers were targeting a security official, but the blast tore through a passing minibus, killing several bystanders.
Somali journalist Mohammed Ali Nuxurkey was among 10-people killed that day, and one of 3 Somali journalists killed this year.
Mohammed had been working with us at Voice of America. He was energetic and ambitous, constantly offering story ideas and sending us sound bites and information from the Somali capital.
At 29 years old, he leaves behind a wife and a five-month old child.
While our company does not have an offiical system for compensating the family, we at the Nairobi bureau wanted to do something to help them out.
So I'm asking your help to contribute a few extra dollars to help support Mohammed's family during this difficult time.
Your contribution will show up as going to my pay pal account (that's just how this system works) but every penny will go directly to the family.  We hope to raise about $3,000 over the next few weeks.
Thank you from all of us here in Nairobi.
Gabe Joselow
East Africa Bureau Chief
VOA News, Nairobi
gjoselow (at) voanews.com

PUNTLAND MADE STEPS OF MEDIA SILENCE

Somali Media Freedom Defender is strongly condemning the steps taken by Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland to close the private radio stations locating in Bossasso, the capital of Bari region.

Puntland regional administration on Wednesday, April, 3.2013, ordered the closure Radio Daljir, Radio Voice of Peace and 1 Nation Radio in Bossasso.

Putland semiautonomous region has accused that these three radio stations disobeyed orders from Puntland and retransmit programs produced by Radio Bar Kulan and Radio Ergo which are based on in Nairobi, Kenya.

The order to shut down the radio stations was issued by Puntland Minister of Information Mohamud Dirir which asked Puntland Police Commissioner Mohamed Said to immediately carry out the order.

Subsequently, the Commander of Puntland Police in Bari province Osman Afdalow for himself delivered the order to the three radio stations and stipulated to shut down the Radio stations and the stations accepted instantly and stopped broadcasting.

Somali Media Freedom Defender calls on Puntland especially the Ministry of Information Mr. Mohamud to espouse a democratic and consultative stand in dealing with media institutions and professionals. This means that Putalnd regional administration is not ready to respect and promote freedom of expression and media freedom.