The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called on the African Union to investigate the fatal shooting of Somali journalist Farah Hassan Sahal of Radio Simba on 4 August in the capital Mogadishu.

The IFJ wrote to the African Union Commission Chairman, Jean Ping, following reports claiming the journalist was shot dead by a soldier of the African union peace keeping mission in Somalia, AMISOM, near the Hareed mosque.

"The area is known to be under AMISOM control and there is intense speculation that a member of the peacekeeping force may have mistaken Sahal for an insurgent," said IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, in the letter to Chairman Ping. "We look to you, as Chairman of the African Union Commission responsible for AMISOM and its soldiers, to launch a thorough investigation in the circumstances of our colleague's killing."

According to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), an IFJ affiliate, the shooting took place near the Bakara market, central Mogadishu. The journalist, who was fatally injured by a sniper's shot, died later from his wounds.

AMISOM forces, made of Ugandan and Burundian soldiers, have been battling the militias of the Al-Shabbah group over the control of Mogadishu as part of their mandate to protect the Somali interim government. Al-Shabaab forces retreated from the capital city in the weekend, reports say..

The IFJ recalls that deliberated attacks on journalists in conflict zones are a breach of international humanitarian law and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1738 unanimously adopted in December 2006.

The Federation says it will take appropriate action to hold those responsible for Sahal's death accountable once the facts are established.

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 131 countries