On 2 March, freelance journalist Abshir Khalif Shide Omar was shot and killed by a police officer following a brief altercation in Kismayo, the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubbaland region, which is located about 528 kilometres from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in condemning this brutal killing and calling for an urgent investigation.
According to a NUSOJ statement, Omar was returning from an Iftar gathering with his colleagues after editing a programme about politicians, which was scheduled to be released that night. NUSOJ’s statement indicates that the motive for the shooting remains unclear, stating that ‘the circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined’.
Captain Shukri Farah Du’ale, the spokesperson for the Jubbaland Police in Kismayo, said that the detained officer responsible for the shooting would be taken to court to ensure that justice was served, and that a thorough investigation and prosecution process would follow.
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NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said: ‘When a journalist is killed in these circumstances, it raises serious concerns about the safety of media workers and the accountability of law enforcement agents.’
IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, declared that the shooting of Abshir was unacceptable and unwarranted, and could only be described as showing disdain for journalists and media workers. “Such killings cannot go unpunished. We demand a full investigation into Abshir’s killing,” he said.
The IFJ joins NUSOJ in extending its sincere condolences to the family of Abshir Khalif Shide Omar and to the Somali media community, while calling on the authorities to deliver justice.
Abshir Khalif Shide Omar is the first journalist to be killed in Somalia in 2026.
