Somalia: Journalist Farhan Jeemis Abdulle killed in Galkayo
An American journalist was kidnapped in Galkayo, Somalia. Here, armed men providing security to the local Galmadug administration official hold their high caliber weapons as they stand in a field in the plains near the central Somali town of Galkayo on Aug. 18, 2010.
Journalist Farhan Jeemis Abdulle, a radio reporter in Somalia's northern town of Galkayo, has been shot and killed by masked gunmen.
Abdulle, who worked for Radio Daljir in the Puntland region, was heading home late Wednesday when he was attacked, Agence France-Presse reported.
He is the fifth journalist to be killed in Somalia this year.
The killing came on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, an annual day marked by the United Nations and media rights groups.
"He left the radio station and a few minutes later we were told he was dead… it was shocking and unbelievable to all of us, they brutally shot him several times," said Abdifatah Omar, director of the radio station, told AFP.
No group has claimed responsibility for Abdulle's death.
More from GlobalPost: Press Freedom: Eritrea, North Korea, Syria 'most censored countries'
Somalia, which has been in a state of anarchy for 20 years, is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists to work.
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said it is the most dangerous country for journalists, the BBC said.
The National Union of Somali Journalists told the BBC that more than 30 journalists have been murdered in Somalia since 2007.
In March, also in Galkayo, masked gunmen shot and killed journalist Ali Ahmed Abdi, 26, who had worked for privately owned Galkayo Radio and also contributed to the Somali Online news website.
Galkayo straddles the border between Puntland and the self-proclaimed separate region of Galmudug in central Somalia.
More from GlobalPost: Somalia: Journalist Ali Ahmed Abdi killed in Galkayo
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!