Stop killing the messengers!

Shabelle radio/TV editor Hassan Osman Abdi better known as “Hassan Fantastic” is no longer with us, reason? He was cold bloodedly murdered near his house in Mogadishu by two-pistol-totting unknown assailants who later disappeared after firing 5 shots into his head and body leaving for dead.
Fantastic, is the third Shabele editor to have been murdered since 2007. The late Hirabe was also a close friend and of wonderful personality just like Mohamed and the latest fallen hero and a fantastic chap.
I was lucky to have met and seen the late Fantastic doing what he does best…Report about the unceasing violence in Mogadishu whose biggest casualties still remains to date as the poor women, children and men who are too poor to even flee.
But who is killing these messengers and what is his or her motive? This is what every journalist in Somalia is thinking about. I wish I had the answers too.
Mogadishu seems to have turned into a hunting ground for journalist, many of who are already working under deplorable conditions and very low pay compared to their comrades in other hot spots of the world like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Whoever is behind these cold-blooded murders is a true enemy of the people. Just like the killing of other professionals in Somalia, I wonder when we the Somalis will ever stop eliminating the most learned amongst us.
We should stop killing our best brains and above all desist from harming or eliminating the messengers who dodge bullets and bombs to keep us informed of the situation in Somalia and Mogadishu.
Hassan Fantastic, rest in peace. His killers should remember that, even walls have ears and one day their identities will be known. This heinous act will not go unpunished and for sure they will die the same way they killed Fantastic, Hirabe and many other fallen comrades.
If you live by the gun, you will die by the gun!