An unidentified police officer fired several shots at close range at Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed, Director-General of Radio Daljir in the city of Bossasso in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in Somalia, as he was leaving the station’s offices on 9 December. Mr Mohamed escaped unhurt.
When firing the shots, the officer reportedly shouted: “Why do you talk about Asad Diyaana?” Asad Osman Abdullahi, who is also known as Asad Diyaana, is a former head of the Puntland Security Force and a candidate in Puntland’s upcoming presidential elections due to be held next month. The authorities have not arrested the police officer nor confirmed a motive for the attack.
Radio Daljir, Puntland’s leading independent radio company, is an MDIF client. It has reported that this is the latest incident in almost daily acts of intimidation by supporters of presidential candidates.
Organisations including the National Union of Somali Journalists and WAN-IFRA have protested the attack and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.