The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has today strongly condemned a murder attempt against journalist Ahmed Yusuf Suleman, a reporter for privately owned HornCable TV in Mogadishu.
Around 20hrs, 4 January 2018, shortly after Ahmed Yusuf Suleman left his house in Waberi district, two men armed with pistols trailed him for some 7 minutes when they commenced firing off four shots towards Suleman. The journalist tried to run for his life but they stopped him and one of the armed men pointed the pistol in Suleman’s head in close range, attempting to shoot him multiple times but luckily the pistol malfunctioned. When the second armed man wanted to trigger his pistol, the journalist could not wait and jumped to the armed man and held the hand with pistol until police that heard earlier bullets who were stationed in the neighbourhood came the scene.
The police reportedly identified the two armed men are plainclothes officers of National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and informed NISA officers that the journalist is a local resident of Waberi district. When asked, NISA officers claimed that they suspected the journalist as a “terrorist” and have been following him for days. Suleman opened a criminal complait case at Waberi police station against two officers for attempted murder.
“Our colleague Ahmed Yusuf Suleman is very lucky to be alive in such perilous situation, and we are very happy that the worst did not happen,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General. “Nonetheless claiming that a known journalist who is watched by many people in the television was suspected as a ‘terrorist’ and therefore warranted armed intelligence officers to pursue him until they endanger his life is outrageous and wholly unacceptable. The suspected officers for this attempted murder must face full force of the law”.
