List of journalists killed during the Somali Civil War


This is a list of journalists killed during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1988 and is ongoing.

Overview

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, an estimated 59 radio, print and television reporters operating within Somalia died in the period from the start of the civil war in 1992 to 2013. The CPJ estimated that the majority were locally based, male, broadcast journalists, worked on the radio, and were non-freelance. Most were assassinated, while covering primarily war and political stories. A number also received threats prior to their deaths. The sources of fire were largely political action groups, mainly Al-Shabaab; the assailants' affiliations were unknown in only 22% of the cases. As a consequence, the country was described by Al-Jazeera as the most dangerous place in Africa for working journalists.
Early in the conflict, European journalists like Jean-Claude Jumel of France, Dan Eldon of the United Kingdom and Hansi Krauss of Germany were among those slain. The deadliest year for foreign correspondents in general was in 1993, according to the CPJ. The last foreign journalist to be killed in Somalia was Noramfaizul Mohd Nor of Malaysia, a cameraman with Bermana TV covering a relief operation.
Prior to the capital Mogadishu's pacification by the Somali National Army in mid-2011, the independent Radio Shabelle and HornAfrik Media Inc, among other Somali media outlets, were frequently targeted by Islamic militants. Among the casualties during this most volatile 2007-2011 period was Ali Iman Sharmarke, one of the founders of HornAfrik, who was killed in his role as director on 11 August 2007.
, a popular gathering place for working journalists, shortly after it was attacked by suicide bombers.
Since their ouster, the insurgents have resorted to issuing death threats and targeted assassinations in order to discourage reporting on their activities. Due to frustration at the increasing number of expatriate journalists returning to the capital after the relative improvement in security, the militants in 2012 intensified their anti-media campaign, killing a record 18 reporters during the year.
Jamal Osman, a journalist working for The Guardian and Channel 4, suggested in an October 2012 editorial that one of the factors behind the spate of killings of media workers in Somalia was graft amongst reporters. This was in sharp contrast to the widely held belief and CPJ data suggesting that the assassinations and death threats bore the hallmarks of the Islamist extremists. In a formal press statement, the National Union of Somali Journalists characterized Osman's editorial as "defamatory and libelous", and suggested that it represented a conscious effort to cast aspersions on the Somali media and was "an attempt to divert the public attention by aiding the real criminals, which could contribute the killing of Somali journalists to continue." The organization further indicated that "more than half of the cases took place in Mogadishu and all have been targeted in line with their profession and the majority of them have been claimed by the Shabab."
Despite the attempted intimidation, news outlets have continued to proliferate, with the number of radio and television stations in Mogadishu rising from 11 to 30 in less than five months. Journalists have also persisted in covering the war beat.
In early February 2013, the government launched an Independent Task Force on Human Rights tasked with investigating allegations of journalist intimidation and violence. Featuring a media representative, the 13-member committee is scheduled to publish a report on its findings and recommended courses of action at the end of its three-month mandate. The Task Force will eventually give way to a permanent parliamentary Human Rights Commission, which will have the capacity to investigate allegations over a longer period.

Journalists killed

DateNameLocationNotesRefs
12 July 2019Hodan NalayehAsasey Hotel, Kismayo, Jubaland, SomaliaAsasey Hotel attack
27 September 2016Abdiaziz AliYaqshid district, Mogadishu, SomaliaRadio Mogadishu
5 June 2016Sagal Salad OsmanHodon district, Mogadishu, SomaliaFemale radio presenter for Radio Mogadishu
3 December 2015Hindia Haji MohamedMogadishu, SomaliaFemale journalist for Radio Mogadishu & Somali National TV
1 November 2015Mustaf Abdi Noor Mogadishu, SomaliaFreelancer who sometimes worked through Shabelle Media Network
29 April 2015Daud Ali OmarBaidoa, SomaliaRadio Baidoa
5 December 2014Mohamed Isaq BarreBaidoa, SomaliaKalsan TV
5 December 2014Abdulkadir Ahmed MayowBaidoa, SomaliaSomali Channel TV and Star FM
16 November 2014Abdirizak Ali Abdi Galkayo, Puntland, SomaliaFreelancer
21 June 2014Yusuf Ahmed AbukarMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Ergo and Mustaqbal Radio
26 October 2013Mohamed MohamudMogadishu, SomaliaUniversal TV
7 July 2013Liban Abdullahi FarahGalkayo, Mugdug, SomaliaJournalist for Somali Broadcasting Corporation
21 April 2013Mohamed Ibrahim RagehDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist for Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television
14 April 2013Mohamed Hassan HabeebMogadishu, SomaliaJournalist acting as a media adviser in a court case
24 March 2013Rahmo Abdulqadir Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist, Radio Abduwaq
18 March 2013Mohamed Ali NuxurkeyMogadishu, SomaliaJournalist, Radio Mustaqbal
18 January 2013Abdihared Osman AdenMogadishu, SomaliaProducer and journalist, Radio Shabelle
29 October 2012Warsame Shire AwaleMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Kulmiye
29 October 2012Mohamed Mohamud TuryareMogadishu, SomaliaReporter, Radio Shabelle
23 October 2012Ahmed Farah IlyasLas Anod, SomaliaBroadcast reporter, Universal TV
28 September 2012Ahmed Abdullahi FarahDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist representing Yemeni news agency
27 September 2012Abdirahman Mohamed AliSuuqa Holaha Market, Huriwa district, Mogadishu, SomaliaOnline sports writer for ciyaarahamaanta.com
21 September 2012Hassan Yusuf AbsugeYaqshid, Mogadishu, SomaliaReporter and producer, Radio Maanta
20 September 2012Liban Ali NurMogadishu, SomaliaHead of News, Somali National TV
20 September 2012Abdisatar Daher SabriyeMogadishu, SomaliaHead of News, Radio Mogadishu and the former chair for the Somali Exiled Journalists Association
20 September 2012Abdirahman Yasin AliMogadishu, SomaliaDirector, Radio Hamar
16 September 2012Zakariye Mohamed Mohamud MoallimNasib Bundo, Mogadishu, SomaliaCamera operator
12 August 2012Yusuf Ali Osman Dharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaFormer director of Radio Mogadishu
12 August 2012Mohamud Ali Keyre Mogadishu, SomaliaFreelance journalist for Horyaalmedia.com
31 July 2012Abdi Jaylani Malaq Mogadishu, SomaliaProducer, Universal TV
24 May 2012Ahmed Addow AnshurDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaShabelle Media Network
2 May 2012Farhan Jeemis AbdulleGarsoor, Mudug, SomaliaRadio Daljir, Galkayo
5 April 2012Mahad Salad Adan Beledweyne, Hinan, SomaliaShabelle Media Network
4 March 2012Ali Ahmed AbdiGalkayo, SomaliaRadio Galkayo
28 February 2012Abukar Hassan Mohamoud Mogadishu, SomaliaDirector, Radio Somaliweyn
28 January 2012Hassan Osman Abdi Mogadishu, SomaliaDirector, Shabelle Media Network
18 December 2011Abdisalan Sheik HassanSomaliaHorn Cable TV
2 September 2011Noramfaizul Mohd Nor Mogadishu, SomaliaBernama TV
31 August 2010Abdullahi Omar GediGalkayo district, Puntland, SomaliaRadio Daljir
24 August 2010Barkhad Awale AdanSomaliaDirector, Hurma Radio
4 May 2010Sheik Nur Mohamed AbkeyMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Mogadishu
3 December 2009Mohamed Amin Adan AbdulleMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Shabelle journalist murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing
3 December 2009Hassan Zubeyr Haji HassanMogadishu, SomaliaCamera operator, Al-Arabia TV, murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing
3 December 2009Yasir MairoMogadishu, SomaliaFreelance photographer murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing
7 June 2009Muktar Mohamed HirabeMogadishu, SomaliaDirector, Radio Shabelle
25 May 2009Nur Muse HusseinSomaliaVoice of the Holy Quran radio
22 May 2009Abdirisak Warsameh MohamedSomaliaRadio Shabelle
4 February 2009Said Tahlil AhmedSomaliaDirector, Horn Afrik Radio/TV
1 January 2009Hassan Mayow HassanAfgooye, SomaliaRadio Shabelle
7 June 2008Nasteh Dahir FarahSomaliaA BBC and Associated Press reporter who was also the Vice President of the National Union of Somali Journalists
28 January 2008Hassan Kafi HaredSomaliaSomali National News Agency
19 October 2007Bashir Nur GediSomaliaChief executive, Shabelle Media network
24 August 2007Abdulkadir Mahad Moallim KaskeySomaliaRadio Banadir
11 August 2007Mahad Ahmed ElmiSomaliaDirector, Radio Capital Voice
11 August 2007Ali Iman SharmarkeSomaliaManaging Director, HornAfrik Radio
16 May 2007Ahmed Hassan MahadMiddle Shabelle province, SomaliaRadio Jowhar
16 May 2007Abshir Ali GabreMiddle Shabelle province, SomaliaEditor, Radio Jowhar
5 May 2007Mohammed Abdullahi KhalifSomaliaVoice
16 February 2007Ali Mohammed OmarBaidoa, SomaliaRadio Warsan
23 June 2006Martin Adler Mogadishu, SomaliaAftonbladet
5 June 2005Duniya Muhiyadin NurAfgooye, SomaliaCapital Voice of HornAfrik
9 February 2005Kate Peyton Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist for the BBC's Johannesburg bureau
24 January 2003Abdullahi MadkeerBaidoa, SomaliaCovering the airport reopening for DMC Radio.
26 January 2000Ahmed Kafi AwaleBakara market, Mogadishu, SomaliaRadio of the Somali People
9 February 1995Marcello Palmisano Mogadishu, SomaliaShot while traveling on airport road while working for RAI.
31 August 1994Pierre Anceaux Baidoa, SomaliaReporting on a charity-run refugee camp.
20 March 1994Ilaria Alpi Mogadishu, SomaliaReporting for RAI-3 on illegal toxic waste.
20 March 1994Miran Hrovatin Mogadishu, SomaliaReporting for RAI-3 on illegal toxic waste.
12 July 1993Dan Eldon Mogadishu, SomaliaDied while covering a US operation before the Battle of Mogadishu. He was working as a journalist for Reuters.
12 July 1993Anthony Macharia Mogadishu, SomaliaDied while covering the same operation as Eldon. He was working for Reuters on the sound production.
12 July 1993Hos Maina Mogadishu, SomaliaDied while covering the same operation as Eldon. He was working for Reuters on photography. Fellow Reuters cameraman Mohammed Shaffi survived.
12 July 1993Hansi Krauss Mogadishu, SomaliaDied while covering the same operation as Eldon. He was working for the Associated Press.
18 June 1993Jean-Claude Jumel Mogadishu, SomaliaHe was shot by a sniper while traveling with his TF1 news crew, for which he worked on sound, from the airport.