Unidentified gunmen shot veteran journalist Abukar, nicknamed “Kadaf,” five times
in the head and chest at around 6 p.m. in the Wadajir District of the capital,
Mogadishu, local journalists told CPJ. Abukar,
49, died of his injuries at Medina Hospital soon after the attack.
Abukar had
been trying to re-launch the private station Somaliweyn Radio after it was
raided and looted by Al-Shabaab insurgents in May 2010, local journalists told
CPJ. Although the killers were not immediately identified, family members and
colleagues believe Abukar was
murdered for his efforts to re-establish the broadcaster, which had continued
operating as a website after the raid.
Abukar was
active in youth organizations and helped organize protests in Mogadishu against
Al-Shabaab operations. Abukar is
survived by his wife and four children.