Journalist Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi, who worked for Alraadi Media Network, died on 7 September, four days after being seriously wounded by gunfire in Baidoa, a city in southwestern Somalia, as rival forces clashed in his neighbourhood. The journalist, who was on his way to his newsroom, was intercepted by armed, masked men in uniform before being shot twice in the back. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls on the Somali authorities to immediately establish the circumstances surrounding the attack, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
He was only 23 years old. Journalist Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi was on his way to work on 3 September, passing through the Al-Ahmaar neighbourhood of Baidoa, where violent clashes were taking place between government forces and militias. He was stopped and questioned by unidentified men who were masked and armed who were not among the warring parties. They then shot him twice in the back, leaving him seriously wounded, according to information gathered by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) from local journalists.
Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi was taken to Baidoa’s Bay General Hospital, where he received initial treatment. His condition suddenly deteriorated while arrangements were being considered to transfer him to Mogadishu for specialised medical care, NUSOJ said. He died on Monday, 7 September.
Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi had worked for Alraadi Media Network from Baidoa for three years, covering general news as well as sports. Aweis Bashir Abdirahman, the media group’s director for the South West State, told RSF that “Bashir was a dynamic and visionary young journalist.” He added, “His murder will not stop journalists from doing their work,” calling on the South West State authorities to arrest those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice.
“The death of Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi is yet another tragedy for Somali journalism. The precise circumstances in which this young journalist was targeted must be established, and those responsible for the attack must be held accountable. The Somali authorities must do everything in their power to ensure this case does not go unpunished. Press freedom cannot be guaranteed if journalists can be targeted with impunity.”
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) also condemned the journalist’s death, saying that “Bashir was a young journalist with a promising future, and that future was stolen from him.”
Alraadi Media Network describes itself as Somalia’s first media network broadcasting in Maay, one of the country’s main languages. The network includes a radio station, a television channel and a research institute, the Arlaadi Institute for Policy Studies.
In Somalia, journalists regularly face attacks, including arrests, harassment, assaults and threats, as the overall environment is highly insecure. Since 2021, RSF has recorded five cases of journalists killed in the country in connection with their work.
Somalia ranks 126th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index.
RSF.org