Several exiled Somali journalists living in Kenya on Saturday night gathered in a hotel in Eastleigh, a Somali neighborhood in the eastern suburbs of Nairobi, to honour four of their colleagues who were recently killed in Mogadishu.

Three journalists, VOD’s director, Abdirahman Yasin, SNTV’s head of programmes,Abdisatar Dahir Sabriye and news editor, Liban Ali Nur were killed last Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a restaurant frequented by journalists and civil servants.

Fourth journalist, Hassan Yussuf Absuge, who worked for a Mogadishu-based radio station, radio Manta, was shot by unknown gangs in a car while on his way to his residential house in Gen. Daud neighbourhood in Yaqshid district on Friday.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work. The deaths bring to 13the number of journalists killed in Somalia this year, most of them in targeted assassinations.

During the gathering, exiled Somali media workers condemned the recent assassinations and violence against their colleagues back at home.

Not only media workers attended the gathering, but officials from the Somali embassy in Nairobi too joined the exiled journalists to remember the recent loss of the four media personalities in Mogadishu.

Speaking at the gathering, Somali envoy to Kenya Mohamed Cali Noor Americo said they are saddened by the recent suicide bombing where the journalists were killed.

He condemned the increasing attacks against journalist in the country, saying that it was unfortunate that journalists are targeted while working for the public.

He called on the Somali government to take responsibility and protect the lives of media workers in the country just like other citizens of the country.

Americo urged the exiled journalists and other mourners present at the gathering to raise funds for the families of the slain journalists.

Another mourner Sheikh Abdullahi Ali Aden condemned the attack saying that such attack completely against the teachings of Islam

The exiled media representatives called on the Somali government and all other regional administrations in the country to protect the lives of journalists and other media personalities.

Somalia has just elected a new president to end the current transitional period, but Somali journalists have one thing in common and that is whether the new government will break from past administrations and safeguard the lives of journalists in Mogadishu.

A similar event was held in Nairobi mid last month after three other journalists were killed in Mogadishu which is now rated the world’s most dangerous place to be a journalist.