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.