MOGADISHU, Somalia 24 July 2026 – A journalist detained for three days by Puntland State intelligence officers has been freed in Bosaso, in a case the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) says underscores mounting pressure on the media in Puntland State State of Somalia of Somalia. SJS welcomed the release of Shucayb Daad Mohamed, who was arrested on Monday, 20 July 2026, and urged Puntland State authorities to protect press freedom and honor rights enshrined in both the Puntland State Constitution and Somalia’s Federal Provisional Constitution.
Officers from the Puntland State Intelligence and Security Agency (PISA) took journalist Shucayb Daad Mohamed into custody on Monday, 20 July, at Bosaso Airport, where he had gone to see off relatives who were travelling.
Shucayb, the head of programs and a news reporter for the privately owned Sahal Cable TV in Bosaso, told SJS he was held for three days at PISA’s detention facility in central Bosaso. Intelligence officers seized his mobile phones and kept them for the duration of his detention.
Shucayb said that after his arrest, officers first placed him in a dark room before moving him to another cell and interrogating him about his recent journalism. Their questions centered on his reporting about market closures and interruptions to port activity in Bosaso after business community protests over higher tariffs at the port.
Sahal Cable TV, in a statement released on Tuesday, 21 July, said Shucayb had been arrested without due legal process and demanded that he be released immediately.
He regained his freedom on Wednesday, 22 July, following appeals by government officials and local journalists. His mobile phones, however, were returned only on Thursday, 23 July, after he was told to retrieve them from a nearby police station. No charges were filed against him.
Before his arrest, Shucayb had also covered Puntland State security operations targeting militant groups in the Bari region.
Shucayb is the fourth journalist arrested in Puntland State in the past four weeks, as SJS warns of a widening crackdown on media freedom in the regional state. Two of the journalists—Shucayb Daad Mohamed and Mohamed Jama Mohamud—were detained in Bosaso, Puntland State’s main port city, where recent port and market closures, coupled with rising tensions between security forces and alleged pro-federal government forces, have made reporting increasingly difficult and dangerous.
The other two journalists, Suways Jama Mohamud and Mohamed Abdinasir Hussein, were detained in Garowe and Qardho, respectively. Both were freed after spending several days in custody.
Journalists working in Puntland State have told SJS that covering the deepening tensions between Puntland State authorities and the Federal Government of Somalia has become increasingly fraught. Reporters also say fear of arrest or retaliation has made them more hesitant to report on security developments, including the military campaign against extremist groups in the Cal Miskaad Mountains, an operation that has been underway since late 2024.
SJS said it welcomed Shucayb Daad Mohamed’s release but urged Puntland State authorities to allow journalists to do their work without intimidation or arbitrary detention. Freedom of expression and media freedom are protected under both the Puntland State Constitution and the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia (2012).
“Puntland State has long been regarded as one of the more open and democratic parts of Somalia, where respect for fundamental freedoms has set it apart. We are therefore deeply concerned by the increasing arrests of journalists reporting on matters of significant public interest, including legitimate concerns raised by the people of Puntland State,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.
“We remind the Puntland State authorities to respect media freedom and stop arresting journalists simply for reporting on events in their communities. An informed public is essential to a functioning democracy, and protecting independent journalism benefits both the government and the people it serves,” Mr. Mumin added.
