User:Crtew/Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe

Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe, also spelled Mohammed, (1960 - 7 June 2009) was the director of the Shabelle Media radio network, which works with foreign media such as CNN, when he was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia. Hirabe was the second director at Shabelle after Bashir Nur Gedi to be killed. After Hirabe, Hassan Osman Abdi became the third director of Shabelle to be killed. Shabelle is an award-winning public affairs and news network.

Personal
Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe was 48-years old at the time of his murder in 2009. He attended primary and secondary school in Mogadishu and received further education at a teachers' institute. For a while, he taught secondary school before attending Lafoole University where he studied history and geography. He was never able to finish because of the Somali Civil War. He fled the war and moved to Djibouti, and it was there that he began to work as a journalist for Djibouti's RTD and also for Shabelle. Mukhtar had two wives and five children.

Career
Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe was the director of Radio Shabelle, also known as the Shabelle Media Network (SMN). As a vetern Radio Shabelle reporter, he took up the role as station director after the former director was murdered and after violence against the station. Radio Shabelle is one of the most respected privately-owned radio stations. In 2010, the station was rewarded with the Press Freedom Prize and also the media of the year prize.

Death
Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe's murder took place 7 June 2009. He and his collegue, Ahmed Omar Hashi, who is Radio Shabelle's news editor, were walking in Bakaara Market when two unidentified men with pistols open fired at them. Hirabe was shot five times in the head and died on the spot. Ahmed Omar Hashi, Hirabe's collegue who was also known as Tajir, was shot in the hand and stomach and he was left in critical condition at the hospital.

Context
As the conflict in Somalia has intensified, journalists, particularly radio journalists as a popular form of media in Somalia, have become increasingly targeted by insurgent groups. It is believed that insurgents are targeting Somalia's leading independent radio stations in efforts to control the air waves. Islamist armed groups have gained control of around 10 Somali radio stations, and now use them to broadcast their political and religious propaganda. The groups Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, which later merged, regard Radio Shabelle as a tool of "crusader" interests.

Impact
With five jounalists killed in 2009, Somalia is the deadliest country in Africa for media personnel. Mogadishu ranked as one of the world's most dangerous places for journalist in 2011, according to Reporters without Borders. Radio Shabelle has been off the air in the past due to workers fleeing or going into hiding out of danger.

Reactions
After being attacked, Ahmed Omar Hashi, who was Mukhtar's collegue, said he feared the gunmen may return to kill him.

Reporters without Borders expressed anger and dismay after the murder of Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe. Other media watchdog organizations urged that the murderer of the journalist be found and prosecuted, however, all of the murders of journalists in Somalia have gone unprosecuted. The IFJ Executive Committe further supported NUSOJ request to establish an international commission of inquiry to bring out the truth about these killings. The National Union of Journalists advocated the inquiry as a means to end the rampant culture of impunity and bring to justice the killers of their murdered colleagues.

Koïchiro Matsuura, who is the director-general of UNESCO, said, "I condemn the murder of Muktar Mohamed Hirabe. This killing, and the wounding of Ahmed Omar Hashi in the same attack, constitute an intolerable breach of the basic human right of freedom of expression and of citizens’ right to be informed. It is essential for the return of peace and democracy to Somalia that those in positions of authority do all they can to end these unacceptable attacks on media personnel. It is also essential that measures be taken to punish the culprits of these crimes."