The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today denounced the killing of cameraman Abdinasir Abdulle Ga’al in a bomb attack on a military base in Awdheegle in southern Somalia on 14 August that left a total of six people dead.
“I condemn this terror attack,” the Director-General said. “The killing of Abdinasir Abdulle Ga’al comes as a tragic reminder of the pressing need for better protections for journalists in conflict zones, including those working alongside the military.”
Abdulle Ga’al, a 24-year-old cameraman for Radio Somali National Army (SNA), was killed by a car bomb while travelling with the military to interview elders in Awdheegle, shortly after the national army ended the occupation of the town by Al-Shabab.
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