Press watchdog groups have condemned the 'savage' killing of two prominent Somali journalists, saying it demonstrates the perilous conditions reporters work in and threatens an independent media for the war-torn country.

Ali Iman Sharmarke, managing director of HornAfrik Radio, was killed on August 11 when his car hit a remote-controlled explosive device. He was driving from the funeral of Mahad Ahmed Elmi, director of Radio Capital Voice, who had been shot by unknown assailants earlier the same day in the capital Mogadishu.

Sahal Abdulle, a reporter with the Reuters news agency was also in Sharmarke's car and was injured in the attack.

Six journalists have been killed in Somalia so far this year, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). "This wave of attacks of killing and injuring media people is an intentionally organised mission to silence journalistic voices in Somalia," NUSOJ's secretary general Omar Faruk Osman said in a statement.

In a statement, Eric Laroche, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said: "The violent events of the last days show how vulnerable freedom of expression remains in Somalia. The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is responsible for conducting prompt and impartial investigations and preventing any form of harassment of the media.

"Furthermore, the draft legislation on media must ensure that freedom of information and media, as enshrined in article 20 of the Transitional Federal Charter, is fully protected.”

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also expressed outrage at the murders. "These savage killings are an indicator of the perilous conditions facing journalists in Somalia, where political chaos and lawlessness threatens all independent journalism," said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary.

"It's time for the international community to focus again on the crisis in Somalia," he added. "So long as journalists are targeted no one is safe."

Reporters Without Borders urged Somalia’s transitional government to thoroughly investigate and punish those responsible for the killings.

The TFG said on 12 August that two people had been arrested in connection with the murder and accused the armed insurgency for the crime.

In a related development, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Ethiopian troops loyal to the TFG, as well as anti-government insurgents were responsible for the "rampant violation of human rights in the country".

The New York-based watchdog urged the UN Security Council to include a strong civilian protection mandate in its deliberations on whether to send a peacekeeping mission to Somalia.

"The warring parties have all shown criminal disregard for the well-being of the civilian population of Mogadishu," said HRW executive director Ken Roth in a report entitled 'Shell-Shocked: Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu', which was released on 13 August.

Violations included indiscriminate firing by anti-government elements of mortar rounds into civilian areas; deployment of forces in densely populated neighbourhoods; targeted killings of civilian officials of the transitional Somali government; and summary executions and mutilation of the bodies of captured combatants.

Ethiopian forces backing the TFG also carried out indiscriminate bombarding of highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery, and had "on several occasions specifically targeted hospitals and looted them of desperately needed medical equipment", said HRW, adding: "Human Rights Watch also documented cases of Ethiopian forces deliberately shooting and summarily executing civilians."

HRW said TFG forces played a secondary role to the Ethiopian military, but failed to provide effective warnings to civilians in combat zones, looted property, impeded relief efforts for displaced people, and mistreated dozens of people detained in mass arrests.

"The insurgents placed civilians at grave risk by deploying among them," said Roth. "But that is no justification for calculated shelling and rocketing of whole neighbourhoods."