Saturday May 9, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has condemned the recent pattern of arrests, intimidation and harassment of media workers in Mogadishu, saying police and intelligence officers detained several journalists this week as political tensions rose in the capital.
NUSOJ said Saturday that journalists from Kalsan TV, Goobjoog Media Group, Shabelle Media Network, Somali Stream, Somali Cable TV and Kaab TV were targeted in separate incidents between May 6 and May 8. The union said none of the detained journalists were formally charged and that lawful arrest procedures were not followed.
The union’s statement comes as Mogadishu faces heightened political tension, including sensitive coverage of confrontations, forced evictions and a planned opposition demonstration.
In one of the most serious cases, NUSOJ said Somali police arrested Kalsan TV journalist Ja’far Mohamed Jim’ale and cameraman Noradin Hasan Ali at about 5 p.m. on May 6 while they were covering clashes between residents and security forces in the Warlaliska neighborhood of Dayniile district.
The union said the two journalists were first held at Dayniile District Police Station and later transferred without notice to Garisbaley District Police Station. NUSOJ said the transfer appeared intended to hide their whereabouts from relatives and Kalsan TV managers, who continued searching for them at the first detention site.
While in custody, the two journalists were subjected to degrading treatment, including being forced to perform repeated jumping exercises for long periods, the union said. Jim’ale also reported that officers confiscated a camera and smartphone belonging to the journalists. The equipment remained missing, according to NUSOJ. The journalists were released May 7 without charge.
In a separate incident the same night, Goobjoog Media Group journalist Rowdo Hassan Abdi Takilo, was detained by Somali police while travelling home in Mogadishu. NUSOJ said she was held overnight without explanation and released May 7. After her release, Abdi said on social media that officers told her the arrest was a mistake and that they had intended to detain someone else. She said they offered an informal verbal apology.
Also on May 6, Shabelle Media Network journalist Shukri Aabi Abdi and cameraman Abdullahi Abdifatah Sidow were detained in Hamar Jajab district while reporting on forced evictions. The journalists were taken to Hamar Jajab Police Station and held for several hours before being released the same day. NUSOJ said no assault or equipment seizure was reported in that case, but described the detention as an unlawful obstruction of journalistic work.
Two days later, on May 8, security officers detained Somali Stream’s Mogadishu office director Abdishakur Mohamed Mohamud Shakra; freelance journalist Abdihafid Nor Barre; and Kaab TV journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul at Kaafi Hospital in Wadajir district. NUSOJ said the three were off duty at the time.
The union said officers from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency were involved in the Wadajir detentions. According to NUSOJ, Abdihafid Nor Barre appeared to be the main target and had been followed by police over reporting on politically sensitive issues, including the expected opposition demonstration. The three journalists were released later that night.
NUSOJ said the repeated arrests showed a troubling pattern in which security forces treat journalists as suspects rather than public-interest professionals. The union said such actions violate Somalia’s constitutional protections for freedom of expression and media freedom.
“What is particularly alarming is that these arrests were carried out without due process, without formal charges and in some cases involved degrading treatment and deliberate attempts to conceal the whereabouts of detained journalists from their families and media organisations,” Osman said.
The union called on the Federal Government of Somalia to ensure that police and intelligence officers stop obstructing journalists and that those responsible for unlawful detentions are held accountable.
