Reporters sans Frontières (Paris)

Somalia: Journalist Murdered On Eve of World Press Freedom Day, Fifth This Year in Somalia

3 May 2012

Reporters Without Borders is dismayed to learn that radio journalist Farhan James Abdulle was murdered yesterday evening near Galkayo, the capital of the north-central region of Mudug. Two unidentified individuals shot him several times in the street as he was returning to his home in the village of Garsor.

"We had just issued a statement for World Press Freedom Day condemning the fact that 21 news providers had been killed worldwide since the start of the year and now this new tragedy has confirmed our analysis that journalists are being attacked and murdered at an astonishing pace," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Abdulle is the fifth journalist to be killed this year in Somalia, the deadliest country in Africa for the media. We urge the local authorities to find his murderers and to combat impunity for violence against journalists."

As Reporters Without Borders said in its World Press Freedom Day release, news providers have been killed at the rate of one every five days since the start of 2012.

Aged 27, Abdulle had worked for Galkayo-based Radio Daljir as a reporter, producer and presenter ever since its launch seven years ago. He was also a well-known campaigner for journalists' safety as a member of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), a Reporters Without Borders partner organization.

His murder comes just two months after another journalist, Ali Ahmed Abdi, was killed in similar circumstances in Galkayo.

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  • Sam Voron
    May 6 2012, 04:59
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    The wars of today use the religion of Islam to do a great evil by using the name of God (Allah) without God’s (Allah’s) permission. Today God (Allah) has given no person permission to kill humans in the name of God (Allah).

    The wars of today are an insult to God (Allah) when they claim to be Holy and they have nothing to do with what God (Allah) has commanded and is only about human desires and not God’s (Allah’s) desire. The proof is that the wars of today use the religion of Islam for human made purposes where people use the name of God (Allah) to kill other Muslims.

    Shame is on the Muslim in Somalia who kills other Muslims in Somalia.

    Today the best examples of Muslims are those who spread the word of God (Allah) in peace and friendship to all the peoples of the world. May the peaceful deeds done by the journalists in Somalia such as Farxaan Jeemis Cabdille Farxan be rewarded with the peace of Paradise Insh’allah. https://sites.google.com/site/islamandthequran