We Stand United: World Press Freedom Day
Nairobi (SDN) -The human rights organization Amnesty International named Somalia one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists today.
According to a press release from the organization Somali journalists continue to flee the country out of fear of retaliation for their independent accounts of what is going on in the country. Journalists face imprisonment and even death. Twenty-seven journalists have been killed since 2007, three of whom were executed in the last six months after plans to kill them were publicized.
The recent murders of Ali Ahmed Abdi a prominent newsman from Gaalkaayo and Mahad Salaad Aadan a well-known journalist from Baladweyne underscore the dire situation faced by journalists in Somalia. Both were killed under mysterious circumstances by armed men who have yet to be caught and brought to justice. Amnesty International’s statement is a stark reminder on World Press Freedom Day of the on-going human rights abuses in many parts of the world and the precarious role of journalists who report these abuses.
On behalf of SDN’s staff writers and editors, we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the journalists who have been killed.
SDN-Nairobi