MOGADISHU, Somalia 31 December 2023 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses profound concern over the apparent lack of progress in the investigation into the ‘assassination-style’ suicide bombing that claimed the life of our colleague, Abdifatah Moalim Nur (Qeys), the director of Somali Cable TV in Mogadishu on 16 October 2023. SJS demands for the immediate initiation of an independent investigation as new details continue to emerge.
Upon revisiting the incident that occurred on 16 October 2023, at the Blue-Sky Restaurant in the vicinity of the presidential palace, The Villa Somalia, SJS has identified a concerning pattern of events before and after the tragic suicide bombing that resulted in Abdifatah’s death and the injury of several others.
Eyewitness accounts and information from colleagues and security personnel reveal a troubling incident where a security officer stopped and subsequently released the individual who would later carry out the suicide bombing just outside the restaurant around 9:00 pm on Monday night, 16 October. The absence of any official investigation to date raises serious questions about the transparency surrounding the death of our colleague.
“In our recent interviews with multiple sources, including eyewitnesses, colleagues, anonymous police sources, security experts and hospital sources, a very concerning trend has emerged regarding the death of Abdifatah Moalim Nur (Qeys), who was killed in a bombing attack on the night of 16 October 2023,” stated SJS Secretary-General Abdalle Mumin.
Contrary to the initial police statement posted on Twitter (now X) on the night of the incident, new information from police sources confirms that Abdifatah died while en route to the hospital, not at the scene of the attack. The police statement further said “4 people were injured and the journalist, Abdifitah Qeys, the director of Somali Cable TV Mogadishu, died.” However, the identity of the four others were never revealed.
Mumin added, “What the sources confirmed is that Abdifatah died while aboard a police pick-up vehicle, as there was no ambulance service available. This is completely contrary to what was previously reported by the Mogadishu police.” This was corroborated by accounts from medics at the Madina Hospital where Abdifatah’s body was brought that night.
Eyewitnesses reported the presence of officers from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) at the restaurant during the incident, but inquiries about their activities at that specific time were met with silence.
Two sources from Somali Cable TV told SJS that Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on a Telegram channel. However, they remain uncertain whether Abdifatah’s name was specifically mentioned in the posting and SJS could not access the Telegram message. Media reports also highlighted the claim on the Telegram channel a day after the attack.
Threats Received Prior to the Attack
Documentation from SJS reveals that Abdifatah had previously reported receiving threats against his life due to Somali Cable TV’s reporting, particularly between January to October 2023.
New information indicates that government officials, including one from the Ministry of Information and another from the Ministry of Internal Security, made threatening calls and sent text messages to Abdifatah following the station’s report on the killing of a local construction engineer in Mogadishu by an alleged member of the Ma’awisley militia, a government-allied clan militia group, on 3 January 2023. The threats led to the modification of the television story’s title by removing the name of the “Ma’awisley”.
Colleagues disclosed that Abdifatah, during an editorial meeting on the day after the Ma’awisley story, mentioned a threat from the deputy minister of information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adaala, who demanded “bring evidence for the story or be prepared of severe consequences” for “insulting the Ma’awisley militia”. A week later, police officers from the Banadir police division demanded the Somali Cable TV staff to provide the contacts of the victim’s family but the demand was turned down by the television editors.
On 5 October 2023, Somali Cable TV interviewed a military officer in Mogadishu who allegedly said that “Al-Shabaab members in Mogadishu were utilizing drugs and prostitution“. The journalist, however, pressed counter-questions against the officer during the interview. Colleagues at the station told SJS that following the interview broadcast, Abdifatah had told them of receiving “threats of retaliation” from unknown callers and even cautioned his colleagues to be watchful of potential risky interviews in the future.
Despite these threats, no investigation took place.
Feeling unsafe, Abdifatah expressed his intention to leave the country for a short break on 11 October 2023.
Day of the Attack
Abdifatah’s routine on the day of the attack appeared normal. After completing his tasks which included producing a story on the war in Gaza, and he left for lunch at 3:00 pm (local time) before heading to the Blue-Sky restaurant for a work-related meeting in the evening. Eyewitnesses told SJS that he saw Abdifatah in the restaurant’s open yard shortly after 7:00 pm (local time).
Colleagues at Somali Cable TV confirmed Abdifatah’s was busy on preparing and inviting sources for an upcoming talk show addressing unsafe buildings in Mogadishu, which had caused multiple deaths recently. The talk show, however, never aired.
The restaurant where the incident took place, according to all sources, remains closed to this day.
“The death of Abdifatah Moalim Nur (Qeys) cannot be another forgotten case of a killed colleague. It deserves a thorough investigation, and the culprits must be apprehended, regardless of their affiliations,” said SJS Secretary-General Abdalle Mumin, “SJS reiterates its call to end impunity for crimes against journalists. Without investigations into the killings of journalists like Abdifatah, the safety of journalists and the wider citizenry in the country remains in jeopardy.”
