September 20–28: The Black Week of Somali Journalism

Looking back at the series of events that occurred between September 20 and September 28, 2012, it is clear that the strategy of the terrorist group al-Shabaab (AS) extended beyond the killing of journalists who dared to report the truth and opposed the violence of terrorism. The aim of AS was to undermine and silence the feelings and courage of the rest of the community. To understand the pressure and psychological impact that the terrorist group AS left on the media, we must closely examine the consecutive events that began on September 20, 2012.

On that day, two suicide bombers who had strapped explosives to themselves deliberately detonated themselves at the Baar Village restaurant near the Mothers' home. This location was not only a restaurant but at that time was the main gathering place for journalists to converse and exchange information about the country's affairs.

The brutal attack resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people, including three prominent journalists. Among them were Abdisaatar Daahir Sabriye, who was part of the National Television staff, Liibaan Cali Nuur, who worked at Radio Muqdisho, and Cabdiraxmaan Yaasiin, who was part of the national media. The massacre that took place at that location carried a strategic message that completely closed the doors to the gathering place where journalists used to exchange information and share perspectives, while also safeguarding freedom of opinion and independent thought.

Now, the poor strategy of intimidation by the terrorist group was not limited to a single explosion, but its face emerged the day after. On September 21, 2012, less than 24 hours after the murder of three journalists in Baar Village, Hassan Yusuf Absuge, a brave producer from Radio Maanta, was killed in the city of Mogadishu.

These coordinated attacks that occurred within a short period demonstrated a strategy aimed at creating a state of terror and constant fear. When every journalist in the city learned that their friends had been killed in an explosion, and at the same time, the one who spoke on the radio that morning was shot that very night, the sense of courage and truthfulness was questioned.

If journalists had previously exercised extra caution when in combat zones, those days they were reminded that the danger was not limited to conflict areas. They realized that this time the war had moved to their workplaces, the places where they drank tea, and every path they took, clearly understanding that they were direct targets being hunted.

The damage caused by these attacks was not only limited to the deaths of journalists, but it also had a significant impact on the overall independence and quality of news in the country. An official report released by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on September 23, 2012, titled “Impunity: War on Somalia’s Journalists,” stated that this extensive targeting had placed journalists in a difficult and fearful situation.

This fear forced many journalists to choose their safety over reporting the truth, while others completely left the profession. On the other hand, the Committee to

Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced in a report released on October 1, 2012, that that year was the bloodiest for the press in Somalia, leaving a detrimental impact on the mental health of journalists. When groups are able to instill fear in those reporting the news, the confidence and courage to speak the truth disappear.

Thus, the attack on the Baar Village restaurant, if it instilled terror in journalists reporting on politics and security issues in the country, the subsequent events that occurred at the end of September of that same year, 2012, showed that the plan of the AS terrorists was to eliminate anyone bearing the title of journalist or anyone working for the community, giving a voice. The group began to hunt even the youth working in the entertainment, sports, and international news reporting sectors, who believed they were far removed from the armed and political struggles occurring in the country.

On September 27, 2012, in the Heliwaa district of Mogadishu, Abdirahman Mohamed Ali was killed. Abdirahman was an active writer and journalist who reported daily on sports news for the Sports Today network.

The murder of this journalist dispelled the notion that, 'if you don't report on politics, you won't face trouble.' The interest of the AS terrorists in the murder of this journalist was the Somali saying, 'Waysha gowrac, dibigu ha ku quustee,' which can mean; if we have killed the sports journalist who was far from the country's struggles, where are those reporting on politics and security?! The day after Abdirahman's murder, which was on September 28, 2012, Ahmed was killed in the capital.

Abdullahi Farah, who was a journalist and photographer working for the official news agency of Yemen, SABA. The consecutive murders of Abdirahman and Ahmed marked eight days of massacre, during which six journalists were killed in the city of Mogadishu.

This incident made the month of September in the year 2012 the bloodiest month in the history of the Somali press. The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued an official report on December 19, 2012, titled "War on Somalia’s Journalists," and recognized that month of September as the bloodiest month in the history of the Somali press.

Today, 14 years later, the global record compiled by organizations advocating for journalists' rights has not recorded a month since then with a similar number of journalists killed, indicating that this week and this month are still marked by the worst tragedy to hit the media in the country. The strategy employed by the enemy, known as "silencing the voice of the people," was not limited to September 2012 alone, but returned four years later.

On September 27, 2016, armed men on a motorcycle killed Abdicasis Ali Haji in the city of Mogadishu, who was a well-known journalist from the independent radio station Radio Shabelle. The shooting of Abdicasis was another message indicating that the month of September had become a month of bad memories for the press, as he became the 13th journalist from that station to be killed since 2007.

The impact of these consecutive murders led human rights and press security organizations to raise alarms about the situation in the country. A special report issued by Amnesty

On December 24, 2012, titled “Somalia: Human rights priorities for the new Somali government”, it indirectly highlighted the essence of the saying ‘The wolf may not spare the sheep’. The organization stated in its report that the targeting of journalists working on social issues who are not involved in political struggles, such as sports reporters, is intended to intimidate all other journalists, making everyone feel unsafe wherever they are.

Additionally, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) clarified in its annual report released on December 19, 2012, that Somalia is the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with this chain of events in December serving as clear evidence that the enemy makes no distinction against anyone who raises their voice for the community, whether using a microphone or a pen. In conclusion, the dark week of December 2012 served as a lesson and a warning for the media community, leading to significant changes in safety and legal matters.

For the first time in the country’s history, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in collaboration with the international network of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), launched in November 2012 in Mogadishu the first training program to teach journalists official safety procedures for their own protection. Guides on journalist security were written.

Furthermore, the justice monitoring campaigns resulting from the December 2012 massacre led to the Somali government being compelled to enact legal changes; on December 8, 2020, the Office of the Special Attorney General was officially approved.

The investigation into crimes committed against journalists. Although these attacks by the terrorist group AS have left a great disaster and devastation, Somali journalists have never surrendered, nor have they allowed their voices to be silenced. They have shown effort and courage, continuing to report the truth, and today they still serve as the true voice and eyes of the Somali community, with their pens and microphones overcoming fear and explosions.

Now, the poor strategy of intimidation by the terrorist group did not end with a single explosion; its face emerged the day after. On September 21, 2012, less than 24 hours after the murder of three journalists in Baar Village, Hassan Yusuf Absuge, a brave producer from Radio Maanta, was killed in the city of Mogadishu.

These alarming incidents that occurred within a short period showed a strategy aimed at creating a state of constant terror. When every journalist in the city learns that their friends have been killed in an explosion, and at the same time, the one who spoke on the radio that morning was shot that very night, the sense of courage and truth-telling is questioned.

If journalists were initially more cautious when they were in war zones, these days they have been alerted that the danger is not limited to conflict areas. They have realized that this time the war has moved to their workplaces, the places where they drink tea, and every path they take, clearly understanding that they are direct targets being hunted.

The damage caused by these attacks was not limited to the deaths of journalists; it also had a significant impact on the overall independence and quality of news in the country. An official report released by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on September 23, 2012, titled “Impunity: War on Somalia’s Journalists,” stated that this widespread targeting had put journalists in a difficult and fearful situation.

This fear forced many journalists to choose their own safety over reporting the truth, while others completely left the profession. On the other hand, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) announced in a report released on October 1, 2012, that that year was the bloodiest for the press in Somalia, which left a detrimental impact on the mental health of journalists.

When groups gain the ability to instill fear in those reporting the news, the confidence and courage to state the existing reality disappear. Thus, the attack on the Baar Village restaurant, if it instilled terror in journalists reporting on politics and security news in the country, the subsequent events that occurred at the end of September of the same year, 2012, showed that the plan of the terrorist group AS was to eliminate anyone bearing the title of journalist or anyone working for the community, giving them a voice.

The group began to hunt even the youth working in entertainment, sports, and international news reporting, who believed they were far removed from the armed and political struggles occurring in the country. On September 27, 2012, in the Heliwaa district of Mogadishu,

Abdirahman Mohamed Ali. Abdirahman was an active writer and journalist who reported daily on sports news for the Sports Today network.

The murder of this journalist dispelled the notion that, 'if you don't report on politics, you won't face trouble.' The interest that the AS terrorists had in the murder of this journalist was the Somali proverb that says, 'If you kill the one reporting sports, where will the ones reporting politics and security be?!' A day after Abdirahman's murder, which occurred on September 28, 2012, Ahmed Abdullahi Farah, a journalist and photographer working for the official news agency of Yemen, SABA, was killed in the capital. The consecutive murders of Abdirahman and Ahmed concluded eight days of bloodshed, during which six journalists were killed in Mogadishu.

This incident made September 2012 the bloodiest month in the history of the Somali press. The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released an official report on December 19, 2012, titled 'War on Somalia’s Journalists,' recognizing September as the bloodiest month in the history of the Somali press.

Today, 14 years later, the global record kept by organizations advocating for journalists' rights has not recorded a month in which a similar number of journalists were killed, indicating that this week and this month are still marked by the worst tragedy to hit the country's media. This tactic employed by the enemy, known as 'silencing the voice of the people,' was not limited to September.

In 2012 alone, it returned four years later. On September 27, 2016, armed men on a motorcycle killed Abdicasis Ali Haji in Mogadishu, who was a well-known journalist from the independent radio station Radio Shabelle.

The shooting of Abdicasis was another message indicating that the month of September had become a month of bad memories for the press, as he became the 13th journalist from that station to be killed since 2007. The impact of these consecutive killings led human rights organizations and press security to raise alarms about the situation in the country.

A special report released by Amnesty International on September 24, 2012, titled “Somalia: Human rights priorities for the new Somali government,” indirectly highlighted the essence of the saying ‘The wolf may not spare the sheep.’ The organization stated in its report that targeting journalists working on social issues who are not involved in political struggles, such as sports reporters, is intended to intimidate all other journalists, making everyone feel unsafe wherever they are. Additionally, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) confirmed in its annual report released on December 19, 2012, that Somalia is the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists, with this series of events in September serving as clear evidence that the enemy makes no distinction against anyone who gives a voice to the community, whether using a microphone or a pen.

Ultimately, the dark week of September 2012 served as a lesson and a warning for the media community, leading to significant changes in the field.

Safety and legality. For the first time in the history of the country, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), in collaboration with the international network of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), launched the first training in November 2012 in Mogadishu to teach journalists the official safety procedures for their lives.

Guides on journalist security were published. Additionally, the justice monitoring campaigns resulting from the massacre in September 2012 led to the Somali government being compelled to change the law; on September 8, 2020, the Office of the Special Prosecutor responsible for investigating crimes against journalists was officially approved.

Although these attacks by the terrorist group AS have left a disaster and great devastation, Somali journalists have never surrendered, nor allowed their voices to be silenced. They have shown effort and courage, continuing to report the truth, and today they still genuinely serve as the voice and eyes of the Somali community, with their pens and microphones overcoming fear and explosions.

The damage caused by these attacks was not limited to the deaths of journalists; it also had a significant impact on the overall independence and quality of news in the country. An official report released by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) on September 23, 2012, titled “Impunity: War on Somalia’s Journalists,” stated that this extensive targeting had placed journalists in a difficult and fearful situation. This fear forced many journalists to choose their safety over reporting the truth, while others completely left the profession.