UNESCO Director-General urges improved safety for journalists in Somalia and denounces murder of reporter Mahad Salad Adan

“I condemn the murder of Mahad Salad Adan in Somalia where all too many journalists are paying with their life for exercising their profession and trying to uphold the fundamental human right to free expression,” the Director-General said. “I call on the authorities and on the belligerent factions in Somalia to respect the civilian status of journalists and let them provide their essential contribution to public debate.”

Adan, the correspondent of the Shabelle Media Network, is reported to have been killed by three gunmen near his home in the village of Howlwadag, in western Beledeweyne, the capital of Hiran on 5 April.

On the same day he had reported on a conflict between factions in the district of Mahas, which is part of Hiran.

Seventeen journalists and media workers, including Mahad Salad Adan, have been killed in Somalia since 2008. They are listed on the dedicated webpage, UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists.

In 2011, UNESCO provided equipment and training on safety issues, conflict-sensitive journalism and humanitarian reporting to more than 40 media professionals in Somalia. The purpose of this assistance was to enhance the quality and flow of humanitarian information in the country and neighbouring refugee camps. In the previous year, UNESCO, in collaboration with Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC), trained 20 Somali community radio journalists, helping them improve their ability to work in an environment marked by conflict.

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