Hassan, 36, a Radio Shabelle correspondent since 2006 in the town of
Afgoye, 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of the capital, Mogadishu, was
shot dead by a government soldier when he entered the town at around 10
a.m., local journalists told CPJ. Hassan was stopped by government
troops who accused him of collaborating with Islamic insurgent groups
before one of the soldiers shot him twice in the head, the journalists
said eyewitnesses told them.
According to a Radio Shabelle editor, Abdi Nasir, Hassan was en route
to a news conference when he was killed. Hassan produced many reports
on the humanitarian situation in the region, including critical stories
about the army’s harassment of civilians in the area, the journalists
said.
“If there is any evidence of wrongdoing by a government soldier or
officer, we will investigate,” then-Minister of Information Ahmed Abdisalam
told CPJ. Hassan is survived by a wife and five children.