Between January 2009 and August 2010, 13 journalists were killed in Somalia - 7 of them freelance.

In June 2010 the Trust provided emergency support to the families of 6 freelance journalists who had been killed in Somalia, and to a female freelancer who was in hiding because of beatings, threats and intimidation.

Somalia remains one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a journalist. The conflict that has ravaged the country since 1991 has made it too dangerous for most foreign media and many of the country's journalists have now fled after becoming targets for rebel and government groups.

Between January 2009 and August 2010 13 journalists were killed, 7 of them freelance.  Many more have been injured by rebel gunmen and in crossfire, bomb attacks and routine shelling. Meanwhile, armed Islamist groups Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam have closed down radio stations and threatened to kill journalists airing information against them. Many journalists have been beaten up.

The complete lack of infrastructure and security in Somalia made it very difficult for the Trust to work there safely and effectively. But continuous efforts with local contacts, networks and partners have paid off.

In June 2010 year we were able to provide emergency support to the families of six Somali freelancers who had been killed and to help one Somali freelancer who was in hiding because of continued  threats, beatings and harassment.

Here are just two of their stories:

‘Yaasir Mario’, Photojournalist, Mogadishu - Killed
30 year old Yaasir Mario was one of three journalists killed by a suicide bomb at a Benadir University graduation ceremony in Mogadishu’s Shamo Hotel in December 2009.  The explosion killed more than 22 people and injured 60, including eight journalists.

Yaasir Mario was a special case on the media landscape in Mogadishu – a self-declared freelancer. He was a well-known photojournalist and fixer; many of his pictures had featured prominently in national and international. Yaasir Mario’s grandmother, wife and nephew were all dependent on his income and his death left them with no means of support. After Yaasir's death, the family fled to a neighbouring country to seek refuge - they had, literally, nothing.  A subsistence grant from the Trust was a lifeline for them, providing food and shelter as they settled in a new country. 

Mohamed Yusuf ‘Ninile’, Radio Journalist, Mogadishu - Killed
22 year old Ninile was an energetic young journalist who worked as a freelance reporter, presenter and producer for Radio Holy Qu’ran in northern Mogadishu. He worked hard, building his career and supporting a burgeoning family. On the 4^th of July 2009, as he left the radio station after presenting the morning news, he got caught in a gunfight - stray bullets hit him twice in the stomach. Injured, but unable to move for more than three hours because of heavy gunfire, he was eventually carried to hospital but died there of blood loss.

Ninile left behind a young wife and three small children, who, several months after Ninile's death, fled fled to Kenya to seek refuge from the conflict. Tragically one the children died on the journey.  A subsistence grant helped the family cope with the upheaval of the last few months and settle into their new life in Kenya, providing essential food, clothing, medication and shelter.