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THRE TA5SESSMNI The impact of Al Shabaabs assassiffation of journalists mSomaha

bjective

Al Shabaab AS has conducted numerous deadly attacks against journalists in recent ye ars T hisassessment highlights the impact of these a ttacks on Somalias dia ur ty

ssessment

Somali journalists are easy targets they have littleformal security, their activities arc very public, theare some of the highest profile individuals in theircommunities, and more sigific ntlv many ph.Wide acounter-narrative in oppositiOn to AS ideology.

Somalia is one of th e w orld s most dangerouscountries for journalists; it ranks 75 ou t of 7countries. Sixty-six journalists have been repor tedkilled between 2007 and the present.

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One of the most dangerous countries for journalists to operate

2. Th e National Union of Somali Journa1ists reported in December 2011 that 44 journalists werekilled in Somalia between 2007 and 2011. Th e report also noted that 250 media workers fled the

country after receiving death threats . In 2012 18 jo urn alists and med ia work ers werekilled inSomalia and in the first quarter of 2013 four journaIits were killed. Foreign journalists are alsotargeted. According to Reporterswithout Borders World Press lreedom Index Somalia is one of the worlds most dangerous countries for journalists. It ranks 175th out of 179 c o u n t r i e s fo rjournalistic freedoms; only Syria Turkmenisian. North Korea and Eritrea are below onial ia

3. In general Somalias security situation has been improving since mid 2011. [he improementbegan when Ethiopian and AMISOM forces expelled AS extremists from Mogadishu . Thi sdevelopment encouraged journalists to return to the citY. Despite the success olthe combined forceAS has retains a core of dedicated extremists in Mogadishu which are conducting attacks on thegovernment and its supporters. AS a ls o b eg an to target the increasing number of expatriatejournalists returning to the cap ita l. Most of those killed worked fo r radio stations the primarysource of news in Somalia.

Growth of media services

4 Despite the violence agai: that the media landscape isblooming and that Somali news [ogadishu. On e report says thatthe number of radio and television to 30 from July to November2012 and journalists continue to cover

The ASs aim to impose a radica[ version of s is directly challenged byjournalists when the latter promote view s and opinions that ep inter the AS message AS ha sattemptcl to undLnmne the credibility of Somali journalists by labelling them spies for Western

intersts FLoeei the malority of Somahs are notsupportive of AS or its methods Rather mostSomalis aie optJn1isn. ihout the future and hopefulthat the ne w Somali Federal Government thatcame to power in the late summer of 2012 can improve life in Somalia . However such hope andoptimism remains Fragile.

6. Although AS lost control otMogadishu in mid 2011 it continues to assassinate its critics in thecity espec ailyjotiinalistcwho dQ not h ae the same level of secunty as government officials ASssuccess in ai iakin journalists has led to a rcduction in its popular support

Impact of goveriiinenttask force to investigate violence against journalists

7. Th e AS has until recently murdered journalists with impunity In February 2013 the Somaligovernment set up a ta sk fo rc e to investigate allegations of intimidation or violence againstjournalists An early success of the task force wa s in March 2013 when it assisted in a successfulconviction and sentencing oIcin AS member whopleaded guilty to killing a journalist in September

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