Death of another journalist highlights mounting risks to press from instability

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the murder of young Somali radio journalist Duniya Muhiyadin Nur, who was shot yesterday while she and a colleague were covering an angry protest by bus and truck drivers near Mogadishu. "Our thoughts go out to her family and friends," the press freedom organisation said. "Yet again a journalist has fallen victim to the anarchy and unpunished violence prevailing in Somalia. We appeal to the country's politicians and warlords to support the transitional government and to make the struggle against impunity one of their priorities." Nur, 26, who had worked for the past two years for radio HornAfrik, was the second journalist to be fatally shot this year in Somalia. Visiting BBC correspondent Kate Peyton was shot in the back in Mogadishu on 9 February. Her killers are still at large. Yesterday morning, Nur and fellow journalist Anab Mohamed Yare went to cover a protest on the road from Mogadishu to Afgoye (30 km from the capital) by bus and truck drivers angry about the growing number of military roadblocks in the region. The roadblocks are a source of income for the military, who levy a toll on all commercial vehicles. The drivers set up their own barricades across the road to block traffic and thereby put pressure on the military. All civilian vehicles were ordered to turn back at the barricades but the two journalists did not comply. A few minutes later their car came under fire and Nur was fatally shot in the chest. Nur, who also presented the programme "Mogadishu and Today" on the FM station Capital Voice Radio, covered current affairs and had interviewed leading Somali politicians.