List of journalists killed during the Somali Civil War

This is a list of journalists killed during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1988 and is ongoing.

Overview According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an estimated 59 radio, print and television reporters operating within Somalia died in the period from the start of the civil war in 1992 to 2013. The CPJ estimated that the majority were locally based (73%), male (96%), broadcast journalists (45%), worked on the radio (65%), and were non-freelance (82%). Most were assassinated (65%), while covering primarily war (49%) and political stories (55%). A number also received threats prior to their deaths (22%). The sources of fire were largely political action groups (50%), mainly al-Shabaab; the assailants' affiliations were unknown in only 22% of the cases. As a consequence, the country was described by al-Jazeera as the most dangerous place in Africa for working journalists.

Early in the conflict, European journalists like Jean-Claude Jumel of France, Dan Eldon of the United Kingdom and Hansi Krauss of Germany were among those slain. The deadliest year for foreign correspondents in general was in 1993, according to the CPJ. The last foreign journalist to be killed in Somalia was Noramfaizul Mohd Nor of Malaysia, a cameraman with Bermana TV covering a relief operation.

Prior to the capital Mogadishu's pacification by the Somali National Army in mid-2011, the independent Radio Shabelle and HornAfrik Media Inc, among other Somali media outlets, were frequently targeted by Islamic militants. Among the casualties during this most volatile 2007-2011 period was Ali Iman Sharmarke, one of the founders of HornAfrik, who was killed in his role as director on 11 August 2007.

Since their ouster, the insurgents have resorted to issuing death threats and targeted assassinations in order to discourage reporting on their activities. Due to frustration at the increasing number of expatriate journalists returning to the capital after the relative improvement in security, the militants in 2012 intensified their anti-media campaign, killing a record 18 reporters during the year.

Jamal Osman, a journalist working for The Guardian (UK) and Channel 4, suggested in an October 2012 editorial that one of the factors behind the spate of killings of media workers in Somalia was graft amongst reporters. This was in sharp contrast to the widely held belief and CPJ data suggesting that the assassinations and death threats bore the hallmarks of the Islamist extremists. In a formal press statement, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) characterized Osman's editorial as "defamatory and libelous", and suggested that it represented a conscious effort to cast aspersions on the Somali media and was "an attempt to divert the public attention by aiding the real criminals, which could contribute the killing of Somali journalists to continue." The organization further indicated that "more than half of the cases took place in Mogadishu and all have been targeted in line with their profession and the majority of them have been claimed by the Shabab."

Despite the attempted intimidation, news outlets have continued to proliferate, with the number of radio and television stations in Mogadishu rising from 11 to 30 in less than five months. Journalists have also persisted in covering the war beat.

In early February 2013, the government launched an Independent Task Force on Human Rights tasked with investigating allegations of journalist intimidation and violence. Featuring a media representative, the 13-member committee is scheduled to publish a report on its findings and recommended courses of action at the end of its three-month mandate. The Task Force will eventually give way to a permanent parliamentary Human Rights Commission, which will have the capacity to investigate allegations over a longer period.

Journalists killed According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 73 journalists have been killed during the Somali civil war.

The last journalists killed were Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe and Ayub Wardhere on March 18, 2025. Date Name Location Notes Refs18 March 2025Mohamed Abukar DabaasheCeel Gaabta, Mogadishu, SomaliaRadio Risaala reporter victim of Attempted assassination of Hassan Sheikh MohamudAyub WardhereJournalist victim of Attempted assassination of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud19 October 2024Amun AbdullahiAfgooye, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAssassinated by unidentified men believed to be loyal to al-Shabaab13 March 2024Abdikarin Ahmed BulhanAbudwak, Galguduud, SomaliaReporter of SNTV from Abudwak20 November 2021Abdiaziz Mohamud GuledMogadishu, Banaadir, SomaliaReporter of SNTV and Radio Mogadishu, Assassinated by al-Shabaab12 July 2019Hodan Nalayeh -Canadian *School in Vaughan, Ontario renamed in her memoryAsasey Hotel, Kismayo, Jubaland, SomaliaAsasey Hotel attack27 September 2016Abdiaziz AliYaqshid district, Mogadishu, SomaliaRadio Mogadishu5 June 2016Sagal Salad OsmanHodon district, Mogadishu, SomaliaFemale radio presenter for Radio Mogadishu3 December 2015Hindia Haji MohamedMogadishu, SomaliaFemale journalist for Radio Mogadishu & Somali National TV1 November 2015Mustaf Abdi Noor (aka Shafana)Freelancer who sometimes worked through Shabelle Media Network29 April 2015Daud Ali OmarBaidoa, SomaliaRadio Baidoa5 December 2014Mohamed Isaq BarreKalsan TVAbdulkadir Ahmed MayowSomali Channel TV and Star FM16 November 2014Abdirizak Ali Abdi (aka Silver)Galkayo, Puntland, SomaliaFreelancer21 June 2014Yusuf Ahmed AbukarMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Ergo and Mustaqbal Radio26 October 2013Mohamed MohamudUniversal TV7 July 2013Liban Abdullahi Farah Galkayo, Mugdug, Somalia Journalist for Somali Broadcasting Corporation 21 April 2013Mohamed Ibrahim RagehDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist for Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television14 April 2013Mohamed Hassan HabeebMogadishu, SomaliaJournalist acting as a media adviser in a court case24 March 2013Rahmo Abdulqadir (a.k.a., Rahma Abdulkadir)Journalist, Radio Abduwaq (Galgaduud region)18 March 2013Mohamed Ali NuxurkeyJournalist, Radio Mustaqbal18 January 2013Abdihared Osman AdenProducer and journalist, Radio Shabelle29 October 2012Warsame Shire AwaleRadio KulmiyeMohamed Mohamud TuryareReporter, Radio Shabelle23 October 2012Ahmed Farah IlyasLas Anod, SomaliaBroadcast reporter, Universal TV28 September 2012Ahmed Abdullahi FarahDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist representing Yemeni news agency27 September 2012Abdirahman Mohamed AliSuuqa Holaha Market, Huriwa district, Mogadishu, SomaliaOnline sports writer for ciyaarahamaanta.com21 September 2012Hassan Yusuf AbsugeYaqshid, Mogadishu, SomaliaReporter and producer, Radio Maanta20 September 2012Liban Ali NurMogadishu, SomaliaHead of News, Somali National TVAbdisatar Daher SabriyeHead of News, Radio Mogadishu and the former chair for the Somali Exiled Journalists Association (SEJASS)Abdirahman Yasin AliDirector, Radio Hamar16 September 2012Zakariye Mohamed Mohamud MoallimNasib Bundo, Mogadishu, SomaliaCamera operator12 August 2012Yusuf Ali Osman (a.k.a. Farey)Dharkenley district, Mogadishu, Somalia Former director of Radio MogadishuMohamud Ali Keyre (a.k.a. Buneyste)Mogadishu, SomaliaFreelance journalist for Horyaalmedia.com31 July 2012Abdi Jaylani Malaq (a.k.a. Marshale)Producer, Universal TV24 May 2012Ahmed Addow AnshurDharkenley district, Mogadishu, SomaliaShabelle Media Network2 May 2012Farhan Jeemis Abdulle Garsoor (near Galkayo), Mudug, SomaliaRadio Daljir, Galkayo5 April 2012Mahad Salad Adan (a.k.a. Mahad Jamal)Beledweyne, Hinan, SomaliaShabelle Media Network4 March 2012Ali Ahmed AbdiGalkayo, SomaliaRadio Galkayo28 February 2012Abukar Hassan Mohamoud (a.k.a. Kadaf)Mogadishu, SomaliaDirector, Radio Somaliweyn28 January 2012Hassan Osman Abdi (a.k.a. Hassan Fantastic)Director, Shabelle Media Network18 December 2011Abdisalan Sheik HassanSomaliaHorn Cable TV2 September 2011Noramfaizul Mohd Nor (Malaysian)Mogadishu, SomaliaBernama TV31 August 2010Abdullahi Omar GediGalkayo district, Puntland, SomaliaRadio Daljir24 August 2010Barkhad Awale AdanSomaliaDirector, Hurma Radio4 May 2010Sheik Nur Mohamed AbkeyMogadishu, SomaliaRadio Mogadishu3 December 2009Mohamed Amin Adan AbdulleRadio Shabelle journalist murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombingHassan Zubeyr Haji HassanCamera operator, al-Arabia TV, murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombingYasir MairoFreelance photographer murdered in the 2009 Hotel Shamo bombing7 June 2009Muktar Mohamed HirabeDirector, Radio Shabelle25 May 2009Nur Muse HusseinSomaliaVoice of the Holy Quran radio22 May 2009Abdirisak Warsameh MohamedRadio Shabelle4 February 2009Said Tahlil AhmedDirector, Horn Afrik Radio/TV1 January 2009Hassan Mayow HassanAfgooye, SomaliaRadio Shabelle7 June 2008Nasteh Dahir FarahSomaliaA BBC and Associated Press reporter who was also the Vice President of the National Union of Somali Journalists28 January 2008Hassan Kafi HaredSomali National News Agency19 October 2007Bashir Nur GediChief executive, Shabelle Media network24 August 2007Abdulkadir Mahad Moallim KaskeyRadio Banadir11 August 2007Mahad Ahmed ElmiDirector, Radio Capital VoiceAli Iman SharmarkeManaging Director, HornAfrik Radio16 May 2007Ahmed Hassan MahadMiddle Shabelle province, SomaliaRadio JowharAbshir Ali GabreEditor, Radio Jowhar5 May 2007Mohammed Abdullahi KhalifSomaliaVoice (radio)16 February 2007Ali Mohammed OmarBaidoa, SomaliaRadio Warsan23 June 2006Martin Adler (Swedish)Mogadishu, SomaliaAftonbladet5 June 2005Duniya Muhiyadin NurAfgooye, SomaliaCapital Voice of HornAfrik9 February 2005Kate Peyton (British)Mogadishu, SomaliaJournalist for the BBC's Johannesburg bureau24 January 2003Abdullahi MadkeerBaidoa, SomaliaCovering the airport reopening for DMC Radio.26 January 2000Ahmed Kafi AwaleBakara market, Mogadishu, SomaliaRadio of the Somali People9 February 1995Marcello Palmisano (Italian)Mogadishu, SomaliaShot while traveling on airport road while working for RAI.31 August 1994Pierre Anceaux (Swiss)Baidoa, SomaliaReporting on a charity-run refugee camp.20 March 1994Ilaria Alpi (Italian)Mogadishu, SomaliaReporting for RAI-3 on illegal toxic waste.Miran Hrovatin (Italian)12 July 1993Dan Eldon (British)Died while covering a US operation before the Battle of Mogadishu (1993). Eldon, Macharia, and Maina were working for Reuters as a journalist, sound producer, and photographer. Another Reuters cameraman, Mohammed Shaffi, survived. Krauss was working for the Associated Press.Chris Albin-Lackey, Human Rights Watch (Organization), "So much to fear": war crimes and the devastation of Somalia, Human Rights Watch, 2008, p. 44Anthony Macharia (Kenyan)Hos Maina (Kenyan)Hansi Krauss (German)18 June 1993Jean-Claude Jumel (French)He was shot by a sniper while traveling with his TF1 news crew, for which he worked on sound, from the airport.

List of journalists killed during the Somali Civil War

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