“Voice of Truth: The Tragic Assassination of Amuun Abdullahi”
Amuun Abdullahi had once imagined a life far from the turmoil of her homeland. After years working as a journalist in Sweden, she had returned to Somalia with a plan to create a new path for herself, one removed from the threats that had haunted her since her investigations of child soldier recruitment in Europe. She had envisioned a life built around the land, a life of peace and promise. After returning to Somalia, Amuun invested her savings in a modest agricultural venture, hoping that her work in the quiet fields of Mohamud Adow could be a fresh start—a way to give back to her community without drawing Al-Shabaab’s ire.
Farming was her new world, her sanctuary. She tended to her crops with the same diligence she had once given to her investigations, finding solace in the soil and pride in the produce she shared with her village. Despite the threats that had once followed her, Amuun trusted that by leaving her career as a journalist and focusing on agriculture, she could escape the attention of Al-Shabaab and other hostile groups who had long been angered by her work. But Al-Shabaab, infamous for their brutal reprisals, did not forget those who had once spoken against them. Amuun’s exposure of child soldier recruitment, which had reached international audiences and embarrassed powerful figures, remained a dark mark in the memories of those who viewed her as a threat.
On October 18, 2024, this illusion of safety was shattered. In the early hours of the morning, two masked men approached her on her farm, moving through the fields she had poured her heart into. “Are you Amuun Abdullahi?” they demanded. Her heart pounded, but she held her ground, her voice calm. “It is me.” In an instant, with the cold calculation that had marked so many Al-Shabaab attacks, they shot her without a moment’s hesitation, silencing her forever.
As news of her assassination spread, the shock reverberated far beyond her village. Ikraan Cali Kaar and Ahmed Idaajaa, her former colleagues, could barely find words in an interview with VOA Somali, their voices cracking with disbelief. They knew what Amuun had risked—and lost—so that others might live free from fear. They mourned a friend, a voice for justice, and a courageous soul who had sought nothing more than to give back to her homeland. Amuun’s murder became a tragic symbol of the deep-rooted dangers facing journalists and human rights defenders in Somalia. Her return to Somalia had been a leap of faith, a decision to trust in her homeland’s ability to offer her a second chance. Instead, it revealed the tragic reality of a country where speaking the truth, even long ago and far away, could follow someone forever.
Her family, her friends, and those who knew her work were left grappling with a painful reality: in Somalia, the price of courage is often deadly. Amuun’s life and death stand as both a testament to the strength of those who fight for justice and a heart-breaking reminder of the brutal consequences that pursuit can bring. Though she rests in the land she had hoped would keep her safe, her legacy endures—guiding those who continue her fight, determined that the sacrifices of voices like hers will one day bring lasting peace.
The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD) has issued a powerful condemnation of the murder of Amuun Abdullahi, denouncing the killing with the “strongest terms” and calling for an immediate investigation to bring those responsible to justice. The Coalition highlighted Amuun’s courage and commitment to human rights, emphasizing that her assassination is an attack not only on her but on all who stand for justice and freedom in Somalia.
In a bold message, the CSHRD also directed a warning to the Somali government, urging it to reject involvement in any enforced deportations of Somali nationals from the EU Nordic countries, where immigration policies are increasingly influenced by dangerous ideologies, including xenophobia and manipulation, as the case is in Iceland and Norway. The Coalition expressed deep concern about the alarming rise of racial intolerance and Nazi-linked influences within some European immigration systems, which have cast a shadow over the safety of returning Somalis.
The CSHRD underscored that if voluntary returnees come back to Somalia, they must do so with their full rights and safety guaranteed, without facing the danger and discrimination that Amuun herself had hoped to escape. The organization reaffirmed its commitment to protecting those who, like Amuun, have worked tirelessly to create a safer Somalia, urging the international community to support this call for justice and accountability.
CSHRD Advocacy & Research Desk