Amun Abdullahi Mohamed was an award-winning Somali-Swedish investigative journalist.
She was known for her fearless reporting on human rights, extremism, and corruption in Somalia. She dedicated her career to highlighting the struggles of marginalized communities. Amun’s work often put her at great personal risk.
In 1992, Amun moved to Sweden to escape death threats, and was granted asylum. While living in Sweden, Amun worked for the Swedish Radio Somali-language unit. In 2010, she received the Swedish Publicist Club’s Freedom of Speech Award in recognition of her groundbreaking investigative journalism exposing al-Shabaab’s recruitment of young people from the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby to fight in Somalia. Her investigation led her to be ostracised by much of the Somali community in Sweden and she received further threats. Her findings were later confirmed by Sweden’s Security Service (Säpo), which confirmed that al-Shabaab recruitment had occurred in Rinkeby.
After the intense backlash, Amun left Sweden and returned to Somalia over a decade ago. She settled with her extended family in the small rural village of Abdula Biroole, where she started a farming project producing sorghum and watermelon, providing employment for local people. Despite the danger, she remained committed to contributing to her homeland’s growth and recovery.
On 18 October, Amun was walking to her sorghum and watermelon farm in Abdula Biroole, the Afgoye district of Lower Shabelle. According to witnesses, two masked men armed with AK-47s approached Amun, confirmed her name, and then shot her multiple times in the head. She died instantly.
The area is known to be under the control of al-Shabaab militants and police officers were not sent to investigate the killing due to the high security risk. Amun was the second journalist killed in Somalia in 2024, and the fifth journalist killed in recent years in Lower Shabelle, one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists.
Throughout her career, Amun was widely respected for her courage and commitment to truth. She was 49 years old when she died.
Amun Cabdullaahi Maxamed waxay ahayd weriye baadhitaan oo Soomaaliyeed–Swedisyh ah oo ku guuleysatay abaal-marinno caalami ah.
Waxay caan ku ahayd warbixinnadeeda geesinimada leh ee ku saabsan xuquuqda aadanaha, xagjirnimada, iyo musuqmaasuqa Soomaaliya. Amun waxay nolosheeda u hurtay in ay iftiimiso dhibaatooyinka ay la kulmaan bulshooyinka la takooro, taas oo marar badan gelisay khatar naf ahaaneed.
Sanadkii 1992-kii, Amun waxay u guurtay Sweden si ay uga baxsato hanjabaado dil ah, halkaas oo ay magangalyo ka heshay. Intii ay ku noolayd Iswiidhan, waxay ka shaqeysay qeybta afka Soomaaliga ee Idaacadda Qaranka Sweden (Swedish Radio). Sannadkii 2010-kii, Amun waxaa lagu guddoonsiiyay Abaalmarinta Xorriyadda Hadalka ee Naadiga Suxufiyiinta Iswiidhan (Swedish Publicist Club’s Freedom of Speech Award), taasoo lagu maamusay warbixinteedii baadhitaanka ahayd ee shaaca ka qaaday sidii kooxda al-Shabaab ay uga qortay dhalinyaro xaafadda Rinkeby ee magaalada Stockholm si ay uga dagaallamaan Soomaaliya.
Warbixinteedaas ayaa keentay in bulshada Soomaaliyeed ee Sweden ku nool ay ka go’aan, isla markaana ay la kulanto hanjabaado cusub. Si kastaba ha ahaatee, warbixinteedii waxaa markii dambe xaqiijiyay hay’adda ammaanka ee Sweden (Säpo), oo caddeysay in dhab ahaan ay jirtay qoristii al-Shabaab ee Rinkeby.
Ka dib cadaadiskaas iyo cambaareynta, Amun waxay ka tagtay Sweden wax ka badan toban sano ka hor, waxayna ku noqotay Soomaaliya. Waxay degtay tuulada yar ee Abdula Biroole, halkaas oo ay la nooleyd qoyskeeda ballaaran, waxayna bilowday mashruuc beeralay ah oo soo saara masaggo iyo xabbab, kaas oo shaqo u abuuray dad deegaanka ah. Inkastoo ay ogtahay khatarta, haddana Amun kama harin dadaalkeeda ku aaddan in ay wax ku biiriso dib u dhiska iyo horumarka dalkooda.
Maalintii 18-ka Oktoobar, Amun waxay u socotay beerteeda ku taalla Abdula Biroole, degmada Afgooye ee gobolka Shabeellaha Hoose. Markay waddada mareysay, laba nin oo wejiyada qarsaday oo hubaysan AK-47 ayaa u yimid, waxay magaceeda weydiiyeen, markaas kadibna dhowr jeer ayay madaxa kaga toogteen. Waxay ku dhimatay goobta.
Deegaanka ay ku dishay Amun waxaa gacanta ku haya dagaalyahannada al-Shabaab, waxaana booliiska diideen in ay halkaas tagaan sababo ammaan dartood. Amun waxay noqotay weriyihii labaad ee lagu dilo Soomaaliya sanadkii 2024, kaddib dilkii weriye Cabdikariin Axmed Bulxan bishii Maarso, iyo weriyihii shanaad ee lagu dilo sannadihii ugu dambeeyay gobolka Shabeellaha Hoose — mid ka mid ah meelaha ugu khatarta badan suxufiyiinta adduunka.
Intii ay jirtay, Amun si weyn ayaa loo qadariyay geesinimadeeda iyo daacadnimadeeda ay ugu adeegaysay runta. Waxay dhimatay iyadoo 49 jir ah.
