Well-Known Somali Journalist Killed

Posted August 12th, 2012 at 11:35 am (UTC-5)
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Gunmen have killed a well-known journalist in Somalia, which has become one of the most dangerous places for media professionals in the world.

Unidentified assailants gunned down Yusuf Ali Osman, widely known as Farey, in the Dharkenely district of Mogadishu on Sunday.

Osman, a past director of Radio Mogadishu, was working for Somalia's Ministry of Information. The Somali Exiled Journalists Association, based in Kenya, says Osman is the eighth journalist to be killed in Somalia this year.

In a statement, the association said “It is painful and heartbreaking to lose a great journalist every month.”

The U.N. special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, condemned Osman's killing and renewed a call for Somali authorities to investigate the attacks on journalists.

It said not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice for the killings.

On July 31st, a popular Somali comedian and media worker known as Marshale was killed after he made fun of militant group al-Shabab on the air.

Somalia has endured two decades of war and chaos since the fall of the last stable government in 1991. A special assembly just adopted a new constitution. The country is due to have a new parliament and president by the end of this month.