Somali journalist killed in front of kids


FE Online Desk | Published: December 12, 2017 16:35:07 | Updated: December 14, 2017 11:38:33


Journalist killed in front of kids in Somalia

A Somali broadcast journalist was killed by a car bomb in front of his children, relatives said.

The latest murder of the newsman marks the fifth of its kind in the war-torn country this year.

The murdered journalist, Mohamed Ibrahim Gabow, was working for Kalsan TV.

A Gulf Times report says Ibrahim had taken a break from work to spend time with his children.

He had just left his home on Monday afternoon when a bomb planted beneath the driver's seat ripped through the car. He later died of his wounds at a hospital.

A news presenter for the TV channel, Ibrahim died at the hospital after being injured by a bomb concealed in his car in Mogadishu's Wadajir district, said Ahmed Mohamed, who works for the same broadcaster, an Associate Press report says.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for media workers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 59 journalists have been killed since 1992, soon after a civil war began in this Horn of Africa nation. The deadliest year was 2012 when 18 journalists were killed.

It is believed that over the years several different groups have killed the journalists, including the Islamic extremist rebels of Al-Shabab, Somali warlords, criminals and possibly government agents.

Somali journalists frequently receive threats. But police rarely investigate the threats or murders or adequately protect reporters. Only one person has been convicted of killing a journalist and he was executed last year.

Share if you like