User:Crtew/Said Tahlil Ahmed

Assigned Said Tahlil Ahmed, who was a director of HornAfrik at the time of his murder in 2009 in Somalia.


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Said Tahlil Ahmed  (? – 04 February 2012), a Somalian, was working as a Director for the broadcasting organization HornAfrik in Mogadishu, Somalia. SUMMARY OF NOTABILITY (Said Tahlil Ahmed, an independent Somalian journlist, was the second director of HornAfrik to be killed from 2007 to February 2009 and the second journalist to be killed in the first two months of 2009).

Personal
Said Tahlil Ahmed was killed on November 2, 2009. Ahmed is survived by a wife and eight children.

Career
Said Tahlil Ahmed was a prominent Somali journalist, who continued to work in Somalia despite the dangerous conditions in the capitol after the collapse of Siad Barre's regime in 1991. Said Tahlil Ahmed became the director of Somalia's Independent HornAfrik radio station in 2007, when the company's founder, Ali Sharmarke, was killed in an August 2007 roadside bomb in  Mogadishu. Ahmed was known for his Friday news program, where he discussed the week's top issues.

Death
Said Tahlil Ahmed was shot and killed on February 4, 2009 at approximately 2:45 pm, while traveling with fellow journalist, by suspected Islamist gunmen, in the Magadishu's central Bakara Market. Ahmed was first shot in the back and after falling to the ground, Ahmed, was then shot multiple times in the head to ensure his death. Ahmed was killed by three masked gunmen carrying pistols. Ahmed's colleagues also feared the gunmen wanted to kill them as well.

Ahmed was shot while traveling to a press conference called by the Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab. The members of the militant group were displeased with the January 31 presidential election coverage. Al-Shabaab considered the president to be a puppet of the west and did not support the new president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who was recently elected by as part of a peace process.

Al-Shabaab had been responsible for most of the murders of journalist in Somalia during the two year period of 2007- 2009. The Islamist militia group Al- Shabaab was believed to be responsible for the death of Said Tahlil Ahmed. The Al-Shabaab denied responsibility for the murder. Mr. Ahmed is the third senior employee of the popular HornAfrik radio station to be killed in the past two years.

Context
For journalist, Somalia is the deadlist country in Africa, with eleven journalist being killed between 2007 and February of 2009. Two murders occured in Somalia during both January and February of 2009. Said Tahlil Ahmed was the second journalist to be murdered in in Somalia in 2009. Hassan Mayow Hassan of Radio Shabelle was the first journalist to be killed on January 1, 2009, giving rise to the fears that it would be a bloody new year for journalist.

Reactions
The National Union of Somali Journalist (NUSOJ) were angered and spoke out to condemn the killing of Said Tahlil Ahmed. The NUSOJ, is a national union which represents Somali journalist to promote and protect freedom, of the press and the interests and rights of journalist.

According to Omar Faruk Osman, secretary general of NUSOJ,"Said Tahlil Ahmed was assissnatated because of his strong and professional commitment to independent journalism. UNESCO, the United Nations agency given power to defend freedom of expression and press freedom, spoke out in the immediate days follwing the death of Said Tahlil Ahmed. The Director- General of UNSECO, Koichiro Matsuura, condemned the murder of Said Tahlil Ahmed.

Acording to Matsuura Said Tahlil Ahmed was killed because of his strong belief in "excercising his fundamental human right of freedom of expression" and for "upholding our right to receive information from free and independent journalist." Matsuura stated it was essential for democracy, peace, and national reconciliation that the attacks of journalist in Somalia be stopped.