Somali comedian who poked fun at Islamists killed October 30, 2012 - 12:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Gunmen assassinated a well-known comedian and musician who poked fun at Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police and colleagues said Tuesday, Oct 30, according to AFP. Warsame Shire Awale, a famous composer who had worked with Somalia's national army band before joining Radio Kulmiye as a drama producer and comedian, was attacked by two gunmen late on Monday. "Gunmen killed him... we are investigating the matter and the killers will be brought to justice," police chief Ahmed Hassan Malin told reporters. "Two men armed with pistols shot and wounded him near his house in Waberi district, he died shortly after in hospital," said Abdi Mohamed Haji, a colleague at Radio Kulmiye. The killing, the latest in a string of attacks on media workers in Somalia, follows the murder of fellow comic Abdi Jeylani Malaq Marshale in August, who also worked at Kulmiye. Press rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called 2012 the "deadliest year" on record for Somalia, surpassing 2009 when nine died. At least 17 reporters have been killed this year in the war-ravaged country. Several killings are blamed on Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents, but other murders are also believed to be linked to struggles within the multiple factions in power. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news Human Rights Watch: more Afghan women imprisoned for "moral crimes"  Human Rights Watch says many are jailed for running away from home, often from forced marriages or domestic violence.Benedict Cumberbatch’s Julian Assange biopic to open in Oct The drama centers on the relationship between Assange and Domscheit-Berg, which became increasingly fraught as WikiLeaks' influence grew.Disney greenlights new "Star Wars" animated series "Star Wars Rebels" takes place between the events of "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and "Episode IV: A New Hope".Cuba lifts ban on energy-sucking appliances’ imports 8 years ago, an energy crisis prompted then-President Fidel Castro to launch the so-called Energy Revolution, seeking to lower consumption. |
