Journalists Killed in 2009 - Motive Confirmed: Said Tahlil Ahmed
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | January 2010 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2009 - Motive Confirmed: Said Tahlil Ahmed, January 2010, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e64968bc.html [accessed 26 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
HornAfrik
February 2, 2009, in Mogadishu, Somalia
Masked gunmen repeatedly shot Tahlil, director of the independent broadcaster HornAfrik, as he and several other senior journalists were walking through the Bakara Market area of the capital, according to CPJ interviews and news accounts.
The journalists had been summoned to a meeting with members of Al-Shabaab, a militant Islamist group that was apparently displeased with coverage of the January 31 presidential election won by Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamic leader. Al-Shabaab had rejected the election and considered the newly elected leader to be a puppet of the West.
The other journalists escaped without serious injury, but Tahlil died at the scene. In a telephone interview, an Al-Shabaab spokesman denied responsibility for the murder.
Tahlil became director of HornAfrik after the company's founder, Ali Sharmarke, was killed in an August 2007 roadside bomb attack in Mogadishu. The director was best known for his Friday news program in which he discussed the week's top issues. He was survived by a wife and eight children.
| Medium: | Radio |
| Job: | Publisher / Owner |
| Beats Covered: | Human Rights, War |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Type of Death: | Murder |
| Suspected Source of Fire: | Political Group |
| Impunity: | Yes |
| Taken Captive: | No |
| Tortured: | No |
| Threatened: | Yes |
