The Somali Speaking Centre of International PEN (SS PEN) is deeply shocked by the assassination of the media director of a popular radio station in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe, director of Radio Shabelle, was assassinated by unknown assailants in Bakara market in Mogadishu's Hawlwadag district on the morning of Sunday 7 June at around 10:35am. Ahmed Omar Hashi, a news editor at Radio Shabelle known as Tajir, was also seriously wounded in the attack.

Two men with pistols attacked Muktar Mohamed Hirabe and Ahmed Omar Hashi. The attackers killed Muktar on the spot after shooting him on the head several times, and Ahmed was seriously wounded when two bullets punctured his stomach. The late Muktar, 48, and Ahmed, 41, were walking together less than two kilometres from their station when attacked.

The leadership of Shabelle Media Network confirmed the assassination of Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe. The chairperson of Shabelle Media Network, Abdimalik Yusuf, in Manchester, United Kingdom, condemned the killing. After Radio Shabelle broadcast the assassination of its director, the radio stopped airing its normal programmes and started airing verses from the Qu’ran to grieve the death, according to the Shabelle management.

The Somali Speaking Centre of International PEN (SS PEN) today spoke and condemned the attack, saying that this attack on journalists is a matter of great concern.

Somali Speaking PEN says the killing of Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe sends a clear message to the journalists whose lives are at risk. It described Mukhtar's assassination as a planned mission with a bad motive – a mission aiming to silence journalists and suppress freedom of expression. SS PEN says it is a deplorable and totally unacceptable to watch journalists being constantly murdered. SS PEN has been appealing to political groups to end the killing of journalists and media workers, but no group listens.

The assassination of Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe seems to be an organised crime according to eyewitnesses and is part of a series of attacks against journalists in Somalia. Mukhtar is the fifth journalist to have been killed in Somalia since January 2009.

Shabelle Media Network has been experiencing horrible attacks on its journalists and its premises recently, and Mukhtar is its third journalist to have died since the beginning of this year. Many of Radio Shabelle’s senior journalists have fled from the country.

Somali Speaking PEN Centre expresses and sends its sincerest condolences to the family and colleagues of Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe following the demise of their beloved son, brother and friend. SSPEN also hopes for a quick recovery for Ahmed Omar Hashi, who has been admitted to the Madina Hospital in Mogadishu.

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