The following letter to Somali authorities was issued at the IFEX General Meeting in Brussels, 19-24 February 2006, and is endorsed by the signatories below:

H.E. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed

President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia

H.E. Sharif Hassan Sheik Adan

Speaker of Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia

H.E. Ali Mohamed Ghedi

Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia

Your Excellencies,

We, the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organizations meeting in Brussels, Belgium, for the General Meeting of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), demand a proper investigation into the 9 February 2005 killing of BBC journalist Kate Peyton in Mogadishu, in order that those responsible be brought to justice.

Ms Kate Peyton, 39, was entering the Hotel Sahafi when two masked men drove by in a vehicle and shot her in the back. She and BBC reporter Peter Greste had just arrived in the capital to cover a delegation of officials, led by Speaker of Transitional Federal Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Adan, who were visiting the capital to assess conditions for relocating the exiled Somali government back to Mogadishu from Nairobi. Bodyguards had accompanied them as a protection, however, that protection was not enough.

The two murderers are living freely and fearlessly in the capital city. We are aware that the Somali government condemned the killing as an "act of savagery" and offered a reward for information leading to the capture of Peyton's killers. But we need from you, as leaders, to ensure that investigations will be carried out properly so as to bring to an end to the impunity that the perpetrators are benefiting from.

Therefore, we urge you to end the unpunished crime about the murder of British journalist Kate Peyton.

Sincerely,

Adil Soz, Kazakhstan

Africa Free Media Foundation (AFMF), Kenya

Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo.net)

ARTICLE 19, UK

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)

Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), Nepal

Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), Philippines

Center For Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP), Liberia

Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), USA

CREDO, UK

Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA)

Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ)

Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka

Freedom House, USA

Globe International, Mongolia

Hong Kong Journalists Association

Index on Censorship, UK

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

IPS Communications Foundation (BIANET), Turkey

Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI), Azerbaijan

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA), Australia

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Ghana

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Namibia

Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Nigeria

Media Watch, Bangladesh

National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Reporters sans frontières (RSF)

Somali Free Expression Coalition (SOFEXCO)

Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)

Thai Journalists Association

World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)

World Press Freedom Committee