Two human rights defenders killed in Somalia

On 15 May 2007, journalists Abshir Ali Gabra and Ahmed Hassan were shot dead by unidentified gunmen when a convoy they were traveling in from Jowhar to Addale to broker peace between rival clans was ambushed

The return of the war in Somalia in 2006 made it one of the most violent years for the press for a long time. Accoding to Omar Faruk Osman, the Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ: "The tragic deaths of our two colleagues bring the number of journalists killed in Somalia since the start of the year to four." He added: “We are very worried that Somalia could become a smaller version of Iraq, with one journalist after another being killed with complete impunity.”

Abshir Ali Gabra worked as a journalist with the independent radio station Radio Jowhar and Ahmed Hassan was a correspondent with the independent broadcaster, Somalia Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).

Front Line is concerned that Abshir Ali Gabra and Ahmed Hassan were targeted as a result of their peaceful activities in the defence of human rights. Front Line urges the Somali authorities to carry out an immediate investigation into the killings of Abshir Ali Gabra and Ahmed Hassan, and bring those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards.