Somali comedian who mocked Islamists is shot dead

It is not known who carried out the murder but last year Marshale was threatened by the extremist group al-Shabaab, prompting him to go into hiding in neighbouring Somaliland for several days.

Witnesses told the BBC that Marshale was shot several times in the head and chest by two men armed with pistols. The gunmen have not been caught.

Yusuf Keynan, a presenter at Kulmiye Radio, where Marshale worked, was quoted in media reports as saying: “He had not done anything wrong to anybody, as far as we are concerned, but they shot him in the head and shoulders. This is a black day for the entire entertainment industry. He was a leader in Somalia comedy and everybody liked his performance.”