Mogadishu (Raxanreeb) Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Media Association (SOMA) strongly condemn the shooting of M24 TV camera-journalist, Ahmed Omar Nur, by Haramcad police while covering the Hayat hotel attack in Mogadishu on Sunday.

The camera-journalist was among a group of local journalists covering the Hayat hotel attack from KM4 junction since Friday. Colleagues who witnessed the shooting said a group of the Turkish-trained Haramcad police officers were standing nearby when one of them shot at the journalist. No explanation was provided on the circumstance of the shooting. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors conducted an emergency surgery on his cheek.

SJS Secretary-General, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and other media directors visited the injured in the hospital in show of a solidarity. SJS and SOMA are wishing a speedy recovery for him.

“We just visited our colleague, Ahmed Omar Nur who was shot and injured by the Haramcad police while covering the Hayat Hotel attack in KM4 junction this morning. He was shot with one bullet that hit the ground before penetrating his cheek from the mouth. Doctors told us that they successfully conducted a surgery and he is in the recovery ward,” Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary-General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said. “We also reached out to the police to demand accountability and we were told that two Haramcad police officers were arrested for the shooting. We need an urgent action not words. We ask the criminal investigation department to investigate and explain why our colleague was shot while he was clearly identifiable as a journalist with his camera and had worn his press identification and that no shooting was taking place at that time and at that location.”

SJS and SOMA are calling for the authorities of the Somali Federal Government to launch a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation on the circumstances of the shooting of M24 TV journalist, Ahmed Omar Nur.

“We are shocked that again the Somali police shot an injured a journalist in Mogadishu. We wish him a a quick recovery,” Mohamed Osman Makaran, the Secretary-General of the Somali Media Association (SOMA) said. “We had previously documented incidents of police shooting against journalists including the death of SBS TV journalist Abdirizak Qasim Iman in 2018. All of these incidents were not been resolved. Somali government authorities must investigate this shooting and allow justice for our colleague Ahmed Omar Nur and bring the arrested Haramcad officers to the court of law.”