User:Crtew/Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali

Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali, (ca. 1981 – September 27, 2016), was the senior producer at Shabelle Radio, located in Mogadishu, Somalia. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was known for reporting on the morning news program on Shabelle Radio. Ali was shot dead by two gunman as he walking home to visit his parents. Ali had spent the day working at Shabelle Radio on September 27, 2016.

Personal
Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was a hard-working journalist who had a strong drive to report the news in a professional manner. According to Abdirizak Tuyare, the producer of Shabelle Radio, Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was shot on his way home to visit his parents Tuesday evening from working at Shabelle Radio. According to Abdimalik Yusuf, the Shabelle Radio owner, Abdiziz Mohamed Ali was a very dedicated journalist who conducted his work very responsibly and professionally. Prior to his murder, Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali had been working on a series of radio programs about the magnitude of Somalis that had been forced to flee their homes because of their dispute with Al-Shabaab, the militant group.

Career
Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was a senior producer and reporter at Shabelle Radio in Mogadishu, Somalia. Shabelle Radio, a part of Shabelle Media Network, is a growing and very popular independent media group located in Mogadishu, Somalia. Shabelle Media Network has faced many hardships and has dealt with the death of over a dozen reporters and directors over the past 10 years. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was aware of the risk he was taking by choosing this career, but he chose to risk his life by working for Shabelle Media Network.

Death
Two men that were armed with pistols rode a motorbike to to the Yaqshid district in pursuit of killing Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was shot several times in the chest and head. A few minutes after being shot, Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was pronounced dead. The murder occured around 6:10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27, 2016. The two men have not been identified. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was leaving Shabelle Radio, where he worked, and was walking home to visit his parents when he was murdered. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was the second Somali journalist that was killed in 2016. Shabelle Radio broadcasted the news of Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali's murder. Abdiamalik Yusuf Mohamuh, the Shabelle Radio owner, stated that he did not know why Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was targeted.

Context
Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was aware of how dangerous it was to be a journalist working for Shabelle Radio in Mogadishu, Somalia. He risked his life to report factual information to the public. Rights groups have stated that Islamic extremists and the government have reason to target them in Somalia. Rights groups have also claimed Somalia to be one of the world's most dangerous countries for media workers.

Impact
Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali's position as senior producer and reporter at Shabelle Radio was very important. After Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was shot in Mogadishu, the managing director of Shabelle Media Network, Abukar Sheikh Mohamud, called the international community in an effort to arrest the perpetrators who killed the station's journalists. Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali is the 13th murdered journalist that has worked in Somalia for Shabelle Radio. The 13 journalists have been murdered within the 14 years, starting from the year Shabelle Media Network was founded. Murithi Mutiga, CPJ's East Africa representative, stated, "The killing of Somali journalist Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali must not be allowed to become yet another statistic in a country notorious for not bringing journalists' murderers to justice. We urge Somali authorities to leave no stone unturned in determining the motive for Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali's and Sagal's killings and prosecuting those responsible."

Reactions
The UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group stated, "A total of 31 Somali journalists have been murdered since August 2012." Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Somalia, stated, "Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali was an inquisitive, experienced and resourceful journalist who regularly covered press conferences offered by the international community in Mogadishu. His death represents a great loss to the country's journalistic community, and we extend our thoughts and condolences to Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali's friends and family." UNSOM and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report on the right to freedom of expression in August, 2016. The report described Somalia as a dangerous operating environment and this description has affected journalists and media professionals immensely in Somalia. Keating strongly condemns the murder of Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali. UNSOM Human Rights and Protection Group has called upon Somali authorities to aggressively take action in bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice. Abukar Sheikh Mohamud, the managing director of Shabelle Radio Network, has stated, "The murder of Abdiaziz Mohamed Ali comes as the country is approaching to a transitional period of elections and the government should prevent the reporters from the assassinations."

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