Thursday May 15, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's embattled journalists are being swept up in an intensifying crackdown by security forces, with at least 41 media workers arrested, harassed, or intimidated since mid-March—a development rights groups warn amounts to a "war on the truth," and what the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called an "alarming escalation" in attacks on the media.
The CPJ, alongside Somali media watchdogs including the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ), documented the incidents, most of which occurred in Mogadishu and its surrounding districts.
In nearly all cases, the reporters targeted were covering issues considered sensitive by the state—terror attacks, public criticism, protests, and intelligence agency operations.
Rights groups say the crackdown comes as the government scrambles to control both the narrative and the insurgency, as its military campaign against Al-Shabaab falters under renewed militant pressure. Following a deadly bombing near a presidential convoy and intensified fighting in central Somalia, officials have sought to limit media coverage deemed harmful to national security.
"The repression against the media and the attacks on journalists... are aimed at silencing government critics," said Abdullahi Hassan, a researcher at Amnesty International. "It's about controlling the narrative at all costs."
A directive issued by Information Minister Daud Aweis Jama on March 6 banned the publication of content deemed to "threaten national security" or "distort or fabricate information." It followed a similar 2022 edict meant to curb reporting on Al-Shabaab and has since emboldened authorities to raid newsrooms and detain journalists with little explanation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented a series of arrests, detentions, and raids in Mogadishu since mid-March, illustrating a pattern of retaliation against reporters covering security matters, protests, and criticism of government institutions. CPJ compiled these cases through interviews with affected journalists, media reports, and research by Somali partner organizations, including SJS and FESOJ.
A string of arrests
Bahjo Abdullahi Salad, reporter for RTN Somali TV (Photo: Courtesy of Bahjo Abdullahi Salad)
On March 15, NISA agents raided the home of Bahjo Abdullahi Salad, a reporter for RTN Somali TV, over a TikTok video criticizing waste disposal in Mogadishu. She was detained for four hours.
March 18: Police stormed Risaala Media Corporation after it aired footage from the scene of a bombing targeting the presidential convoy. Five journalists were arrested; 17 others covering the scene were briefly detained.
Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul (Screenshot: Kaab TV/YouTube)
March 26: Officers attempted to arrest Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul, a freelance reporter affiliated with SJS, after he published interviews critical of Somalia's intelligence agency. He has since gone into hiding.
March 28: Police detained five journalists from Himilo TV and Mustaqbal Media while covering a protest against sexual violence.
April 1: Four journalists from Five Somali TV were arrested after airing a report about missing police officers. They were released later that day.
Abuukar Mohamed Keynaan of Risaala TV (Photo: Courtesy of Abuukar Mohamed Keynaan)
April 28: Abuukar Mohamed Keynaan and Abdirashid Adow Ibrahim of Risaala TV were arrested for allegedly exaggerating details of a mortar attack. Both were released unconditionally.
Deeq Moalim Jiinow of Saab TV (Photo: Courtesy of Deeq Moalim Jiinow)
April 29: Journalists from four stations—Shabelle Media, Hiiraanweyn TV, and Saab TV—were shot at and briefly detained while interviewing displaced civilians. No injuries were reported.
Mohamed Omar Baakaay (Screenshot: Baakaay Cumar/YouTube)
May 5: In a midnight raid, NISA agents broke into the home of Mohamed Omar Baakaay, a YouTube-based journalist. While he was away, they arrested his 17-year-old brother and visiting journalist Bashir Ali Shire. Both were later released.
CPJ, SJS, and FESOJ said that messages sent to the Somali presidency, police, and the Ministry of Information have gone unanswered.
"This is a painful experience," said Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, secretary general of SJS. "Journalists are being punished for doing their jobs, and the space for free expression is shrinking every day."