The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the murder of television reporter Said Yusuf Ali in Mogadiscio, Somalia, on 4 May.
“I condemn the killing of Said Yusuf Ali,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to undertake a thorough investigation to determine if the journalist’s death is connected to his profession. This killing comes as a sad reminder of the threats facing the press,” Ms Azoulay added, stressing that the murder took place on the day following World Press Freedom Day.
A reporter with private television broadcaster Kalsan TV, Said Yusuf Ali was stabbed to death on his way home while trying to separate a man and a woman who appeared to be fighting. Investigators are reported to suspect that the fight was staged as a trap for the journalist who had reported on the reverses of the rebellion against the government of Somalia.
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.
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See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists
Media contact: Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, g.godoi@unesco.org