Number of murdered Somali reporters grows to 16

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The list of murdered Somali journalists keeps growing longer, and no one seems able to stop it. The death of Ahmed Saakin Farah brought the number to 16 Somali journalists killed this year, most in targeted attacks by gunmen who know there is little chance they will be caught or jailed. But a campaign targeting journalists has accelerated this year, and one sad fact seems likely to be fueling the murders: No suspects have been arrested for any of the crimes. Most of the killings have taken place in Mogadishu, but the latest murder, in the northern, semi-independent territory of Somaliland, could be a sign that the scourge of media deaths is spreading.

Killings of journalists during the Mogadishu conflict years was most certainly carried out by al-Shabab in retaliation for stories the group saw as negative, said Tom Rhodes, of the Committee to Protect Journalists. But since 2012, the list of potential killers has come to include business leaders and politicians, he said. ‘‘Everyone knows in Somalia that you can kill a journalist and there will be no repercussions,’’ he said, adding: ‘‘The other problem is that some of the perpetrators of these murders may very well be those in authority so they can hide behind their positions.

‘‘Trying to silence the media will have a devastating effect on the nation’s vibrant media community. These attacks must stop and the crimes must be fully investigated by the Somali and Somaliland authorities,’’ Mahiga said. ‘‘I call on the authorities to bolster their criminal investigation capacity and bring the perpetrators to justice.’’ In addition to the 16 deaths, Mahiga said reports indicate that 20 other journalists have been injured in attacks, including Mohamud Tuuryare, a journalist for the Shabelle media network who was shot Sunday and left in critical condition.

Somalia is the No. 2 country in the world, behind only Iraq, for unsolved journalist killings in recent years, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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