Abdiaziz Afrika: A ‘fearless’ Somali journalist silenced

Somalia is ranked one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist due to the lawlessness and decades of anarchy. 

News Keydmedia Online
21 November 2021

MOGADISHU, Somalia - After years of tracking and hunting down, Al-Shabaab has finally assassinated a fearless and veteran state media journalist Abdiaziz Mohamed Guled [Afrika].

A suicide bomber detonated himself at the car of the Radio Mogadishu director as he left a restaurant in the capital on Saturday evening and killed him on the spot.

Journalist Afrika was well-known for interviewing terrorists arrested by the security forces and those who surrendered to the government before and after being sentenced by the court. 

He was a senior producer of "Gungaar", State TV's program featuring counter-terrorism and Al-Shabaab activities in the country. For the years, Afrika was the head of Radio Mogadishu.

The director of State TV, Sharmarke Mohamed was critically wounded in the explosion. Al-Shabaab said it killed the journalist in revenge for involving the murder of several militants.

Somali PM Mohamed Hussein Roble has condemned the killing of the journalist, calling it "barbaric and heinous". The slain radio director was laid to rest in the capital on Sunday.

Somalia is ranked one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist due to the lawlessness and decades of anarchy. Nearly 100 killed since 1991 when the civil war started.

The Security in Mogadishu has deteriorated as the country enters a period of political turmoil after the February 2021 presidential election has been postponed to an indefinite time.

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