A/HRC/7/14 Page 14 militia. As the clashes between Ethiopian-backed forces and the Islamist militia in Somalia grew, the country also saw a drastic increase in the number of journalists who were killed, totalling eight in 2007. In particular, two popular journalists, Ali Iman Sharmarke and Bashir Nor Gedi, were reportedly targeted and murdered by hired assassins, which illustrates the atmosphere of fear and pressure surrounding the work of media professionals operating in areas of armed conflict. Journalists were also killed in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Democratic Republic of Congo, other areas of ongoing armed conflict. 34. The main provisions protecting journalists and other media professionals in situations of armed conflict come from humanitarian law, in particular from special measures contained in article 79 of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, relating to the protection of victims of international armed conflicts. This article establishes that “journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians” and “shall be protected as such under the Conventions and this Protocol, provided that they take no action adversely affecting their status as civilians”. The civilian status of journalists transcends any type of contractual arrangement that the journalist may have; equal protection is granted to freelance, independent or to journalists belonging to any media. 35. In 2006, the Security Council passed resolution 1738 (2006) whereby it expressed its deep concern “at the frequency of acts of violence in many parts of the world against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in armed conflict”, and condemned intentional attacks against this group. It also underlined the obligation under humanitarian law to grant civilian status to journalists during armed conflicts, as established by the Geneva Conventions. 36. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that States have an obligation to ensure the safety and protection of journalists and other media professionals in time of armed conflict. In these situations, journalism has a particularly important function, which is to convey the brutality and havoc created by war. Accurate reports from war zones are a fundamental component in establishing historical truths and allowing post-war reconciliation.