The U.S. Special Representative for Somalia Condemns the Assassination of MIPT Official Yusuf Ali Osman

Mogadishu Isniin 13 August 2012 SMC

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The U.S. Special Representative for Somalia Condemns the Assassination of MIPT Official Yusuf Ali Osman

August 13, 2012

The U.S. Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador James C. Swan, condemns in the strongest terms yesterday’s cowardly murder of Yusuf Ali Osman.  A veteran journalist, Mr. Osman worked as the Media Relations Director for the Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunications. We extend our profound condolences to Mr. Osman’s family friends, and colleagues.

The United States is committed to helping end the culture of impunity and violence that threatens both the lives of Somalis and their universally recognized right to freedom of expression.  For the era of impunity to end in Somalia, those who seek to profit from or promote instability must be held accountable.  We have called on the Transitional Federal Government to investigate fully the recent murders that have plagued Somalia’s journalists and artists and we will continue to call on the post-transition government to do the same until those responsible for these murders are brought to justice.

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Matt Goshko

Public Affairs Officer | Somalia Affairs Unit | U.S. Embassy, Nairobi 

Office 254-20-363-6181 | Cell  254-073 360 8556 | Fax: 254-20-363-6329

GoshkoME@state.gov

Visit us at http://somalia.usvpp.gov/index.html

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