By Suleiman Sabdow
MOGADISHU– Somalia government has today held a state funeral for slain journalist and director of State owned Radio Moqadishu Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled popularly known as Abdiaziz Afrika who was killed last night after a suicide bomber wearing explosive vest approached his car and detonated himself.
Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and other senior government officials attended a janazza prayer for the veteran journalist at Shuhuda mosque located at the presidential palace.
Prime Minister Roble termed Afrika as a dedicated journalist who devoted to working for his people and country with bravity.
“May Allah rest the soul of our departed hero Abdiaziz Mohamud who was the director for Radio Mogadishu in peace.His untimely death is a shocking to us and I send my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.” said PM Roble.
Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in a statement through his spokesperson Abdirashid Mohamed Hashi condoled with the family of the veteran scriber Whilst condemned the attack on the journalist describing as a person who spent his career rebuilding his Nation.
May Allah reward Abdiaziz Guleid "Afrika" the Director our national Station Radio Mogadishu who was martyred this evening, Jannatul Firdaus. He spent his career rebuilding our nation & continuously exposing the evil of terrorism to save Somalia using the powerful media tool. pic.twitter.com/JFVxtn2N9c
— Abdirashid M. Hashi (@MrDuqa) November 20, 2021
The deceased was later laid to rest at Army hospital cemeteries, Top media directors and senior journalists among them the head of Somalia Television (SNTV) attended the burial.
Abdiaziz and his colleague Sharmake Warsame a director for State Media Television (SNTV) were traveling in their car near the country’s security Ministry when a suicide bomber blew himself up leaving the two sustaining serious wounds.
He later succumbed to injuries he sustained from the suicide explosion that targeted theur vehicle.
Al-Shabaab has officially claimed responsibility for the attack that killed journalist Abdiaziz Afrika and wounded State Media reporter.
The militant group in a statement said that the killing was in retaliation for the Somali government execution of Hassan Hanafi, a former journalist-turned Al-Shabaab who was executed by the government in 2016.
Warsame is fighting for his life at Medina Hospital in Mogadishu.
The loud explosion which was heard across the capital Mogadishu occurred a few moments before the call for Isha prayers (evening prayers) and left two other passer-bys injured.
The veteran journalist Abdiaziz Afrika was scheduled to travel to India today to take his ailing mother for specialized treatment.
Journalist Africa was a longtime state media journalist and was known for his programs on Al-Shabab defectors. he previously escaped several Al Shabab assassination attacks.
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and Somali Media Association (SOMA) has condemned in the strongest terms possible the targeted killing of the state-owned Radio Mogadishu journalist and director, Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled (popularly known as Abdiaziz Africa) and the injuries of two other colleagues in Mogadishu, on Saturday night 20 November.
“We condemn the heinous attack that killed Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled (Abdiaziz Africa) and injured Sharma’arke Mohamed Warsame and their driver Abdukadir Dhagahow," @Cabdalleaxmed, the Secretary General of @sjs_Somalia said. https://t.co/yE0soRTrIk
— Somali Journalists Syndicate – SJS (@sjs_Somalia) November 21, 2021
Afrika becomes the second journalist murdered in Somalia this year On 1st March, unknown gunmen shot dead a freelance journalist, Jamal Farah Adan in Galkayo.
Somalia remains one of the dangerous place for journalists behind only two countries.
A total of 70 journalists were killed in the Horn of Africa State since the ouster of the late president Siyad Barre’s regime in 1991.
