Director-General deplores the killing of journalists Hodan Nalayeh and Mohamed Sahal Omar in Somali terror attack

The Director-General of UNESCO has denounced the extremists’ attack on a hotel in Kismayo, southern Somalia, that claimed 26 lives including those of journalists Mohamed Sahal Omar and Hodan Nalayeh on 12 July.

“I condemn the violence that killed Hodan Nalayeh and Mohamed Sahal Omar,” said the Director-General. “There can be no justification for the killing of civilians, including journalists who play an essential role in upholding informed democratic choices and rule of law.”

Hodan Nalayeh had recently founded the Integration TV YouTube channel which sought to present positive stories about Somalia. Mohamed Sahal Omar was a reporter for SBC TV in Kismayo. Both died in an Al-Sahab extremists’ attack on a hotel where elders and local politicians were meeting.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91