MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) condemned the murder of a local journalist killed in an Al-Shabaab attack on the outskirt of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
In a statement on Wednesday evening, FESOJ said Gacal Abdulle Gacal, a cameraman, was among those killed on Wednesday when Al-Shabaab attacked a military base in Awdhegle town of Lower Shabelle region.
“We condemn radio journalist Gacal’s murder in the strongest terms as it is a serious press freedom violation. We demand an investigation of how the journalist is killed,” Abdadir Abdulkadir Elmi, the chairman of FESOJ said.
According to the initial reports received by FESOJ he was among several people killed in suicide blast targeted to Somali government soldiers’ base followed by heavy exchange fire between soldiers and Alshabab fighters.
The journalist was working with a radio of Somali National Army and previously worked as a cameraman with Somali National Television.
The death of the journalist was also confirmed by Mohamed Muse, director of SNA radio who said “We are so shocked to hear the death of our colleague Gacal in a big blast in Awdhegle village. He went there for assignment and embedded (undercover) with troops.”
FESOJ called for the respect the freedom of the press in the Horn of Africa nation.
Gacal is the third journalist to be killed in Somalia since the beginning of 2019, according to FESOJ.
On 13 July 2019 a suicide bomber rammed a car bomb into the Asasey Hotel in the southern port city of Kismayo and gunmen then stormed the building in the autonomous Jubbaland region. At least 26 people have been killed.
Among the victims was prominent Somali-Canadian journalist Hodan Naleyah, founder of Integration TV, and Mohamed Sahal Omar, a reporter from SBC TV in Kismayo.
Discussion about this post