Somali-Swedish journalist Amun Abdullahi who investigated al-Shabaab recruitment shot dead in Somalia

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns thekillingof an award-winning Somali-Swedish woman journalist Amun Abdullahi Mohamed in a small village in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on Friday, 18 October, and demands a full investigation into the incident.

According to local journalists and a security source, Amun Abdullahi Mohamed was shot multiple times in the head by two gunmen suspected to be al-Shabaab militants as she walked to her sorghum and watermelon farm in Abdula Biroole village on Friday. Abdula Biroole, a village under the jurisdiction of the Afgoye district, Lower Shabelle region, is approximately 40 km (24 miles) southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

Local journalists, who spoke to SJS on condition of anonymity for fear of safety, said that Amun was approached by two men with AK-47s who had covered their faces, confirmed her name, and then fired multiple shots at her head, killing her instantly.

A security official in Afgoye district told SJS that the assailants were al-Shabaab militants and that authorities are aware the area is under the control of the militants.

"No police were sent to the area as it was not safe for them,” the officer said.

Amun, 49 years old, relocated from Sweden and resettled in the small rural village, where she lived with her extended family members. She also started a farming project producing sorghum and watermelon, which provided employment for locals. A local journalist told SJS that she also cared for extended family members who live in the village.

Amun’s journalism gained prominence in the early 1990s after she fled Somalia and sought asylum in Sweden, where she worked for the Swedish Somali language radio (Sveriges Radio). In 2010, she received theSwedish Publicist Club’s Freedom of Speech Awardin memory of Anna Politkovskaya. This recognition followed her groundbreaking investigative journalism exposing al-Shabaab’s recruitment of young people from the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby to fight in Somalia. Amun’s investigative reporting led to her receiving death threats, according to colleagues who worked with her andnews reports.

Despite these threats, Amun chose to resettle in Somalia a few years ago, ultimately settling in Lower Shabelle. Local officials in Afgoye confirmed that no investigation has begun yet.

Amun is the second journalist killed in Somalia in 2024after the killing of journalist Abdikarin Ahmed Bulhan in March, and the fifth journalist killed in recent years in Lower Shabelle, one of the most dangerous places for journalists, according to documentation by SJS and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Previous cases include: On 16 February 2020, freelance TV and radio journalistAbdiwali Ali Hassan (known as Abdiwali Online)was shot dead in Afgoye town by gunmen.; On 14 August 2019,Abdinasir Abdulle Ga’al, a camera journalist with Somali National Army Radio, was killed in a car bomb attack by al-Shabaab at an army base in Awdheegle; On 27 October 2018,Abdullahi Mire Hashi, a journalist with Radio Darul Sunnah, was gunned down by armed assailants in Elasha Biyaha, a suburb of Afgoye; and on 01 January 2009, local radio journalist Hassan Mayow Hassan was killed in Afgoye town by gunmen.

SJS calls for a full investigation into the killing of Amun Abdullahi Mohamed to bring the perpetrators to justice. We urge Somali authorities to initiate an investigation into those responsible for Amun’s death. We also call on the Swedish government to support efforts to investigate and apprehend the killers so they can be held accountable. We mourn with Amun's family and community as they go through this difficult time, and we pray for strength and comfort for them. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. (Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we will return.)

"Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. We are indeed shocked by the assassination of yet another journalist in Somalia. We condemn in the strongest terms the brutal killing of Amun Abdullahi Mohamed. Amun, who lived in Sweden decided to return to her home country despite the reported death threats she faced. After he return she contributed to her community through a farming project that helped not only those around her but the community as well,” said SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin.

"We urge Somali authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice. This tragedy underscores the urgent need for greater protections for journalists across Somalia, as only by ending the impunity for crimes against journalists can we ensure their safety. Therefore, we call upon all stakeholders, including Somali authorities and the international community, to stand with us in demanding accountability and safeguarding journalists in Somalia,” Mr. Mumin adds.