Radio journalist murdered in Baidoa

Reporters Without Borders today strongly condemned the murder in Baidoa of presenter Ali Mohammed Omar, of Radio Warsan, on 16 February and deplored the “deteriorating security situation” in Somalia which it said was taking a toll on journalists. Omar was shot in the head on his way home. “This is the third year running that a journalist has been killed for trying to do his job in one of the world's most chaotic countries,” it said, “and the killers have never been punished.” The press freedom organisation urged Somalia's transitional government to make every effort to ensure that those who killed Omar were brought to justice. Omar was a presenter and technician at Radio Warsan, one the region's most independent stations. He was also an active member of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), which is a partner organisation of Reporters Without Borders.