A radio presenter in Tombouctou, Mali was shot dead late in the night of December 17, 2015 by an unidentified gunman.
Joel Dicko was killed shortly after he had closed his programme and was conversing with his friends in front of a shop about 20 metres from Radio Tahint, where he worked. Two of his companions also died in the attack while the rest were lucky to escape. The Kalashnikov-wielding attacker could not be identified because he was hooded with a turban and shaded by the darkness.
Radio Tahint is a Christian station and was opened in the wake of the 2012 insurgency in Northern Mali to propagate peace and reconciliation, and Dicko is said to have symbolised those ideals. While many believe the attacker could have been an insurgent, the motive behind the attack is, unclear. The police are said to be investigating the incident.
The correspondent said Radio Tahint suspended transmission for three days to mourn the loss. On December 18, all other stations in Tombouctou also suspended transmissions in solidarity.
The media in Mali issued a statement condemning the attack as cowardly and called on the authorities to track down the killer.
The MFWA is greatly disturbed by this incident and joins the Malian media in calling on the security agencies in the country to do everything possible to apprehend the killer and bring him to book.