NUSOJ condemns arrests of journalists covering Mogadishu evictions, clashes

Saturday May 9, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — A fresh wave of arrests and harassment targeting journalists in Mogadishu has drawn sharp condemnation from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), which says police and intelligence officers detained multiple media workers over the past week as political temperatures climbed in the capital.

In a statement issued Saturday, NUSOJ said reporters and camera operators from Kalsan TV, Goobjoog Media Group, Shabelle Media Network, Somali Stream, Somali Cable TV and Kaab TV were stopped in separate incidents between May 6 and May 8. The union said none of the journalists were formally charged and that authorities failed to follow lawful arrest procedures.

NUSOJ Secretary-General Omar Faruk Osman described the detentions as “a serious abuse of power and a dangerous attack on media freedom,” saying the journalists were being singled out simply for doing their jobs. He called on the federal government to prevent security forces from interfering with the press and to ensure journalists can work without fear or obstruction.

The statement lands against a tense backdrop in Mogadishu, where coverage of clashes, forced evictions and a planned opposition demonstration has further sharpened political sensitivities.

Among the most serious incidents, 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 reporting on clashes between residents and security forces in the Warlaliska neighborhood of Dayniile district.

According to the union, the pair was first taken to Dayniile District Police Station and later moved, without notice, to Garisbaley District Police Station. NUSOJ said the transfer appeared designed to keep their location hidden from relatives and Kalsan TV managers, who continued searching for them at the original detention site.

While in custody, the two journalists were allegedly subjected to degrading treatment, including repeated jumping exercises that lasted for extended periods, the union said. Jim’ale also reported that officers seized a camera and smartphone belonging to the journalists. NUSOJ said the equipment has not been recovered. Both men were released on May 7 without charge.

In another case the same evening, Goobjoog Media Group journalist Rowdo Hassan Abdi Takilo was detained by Somali police while heading home in Mogadishu. NUSOJ said she spent the night in custody without explanation and was released on May 7. After her release, Abdi wrote on social media that officers told her the arrest had been a mistake and that they had meant to arrest someone else. She said they offered a 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 covering forced evictions. The two were taken to Hamar Jajab Police Station and held for several hours before being freed later that day. NUSOJ said no assault or equipment seizure was reported in that case, but called the detention an unlawful interference with journalistic work.

Then, 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 arrests. It said Abdihafid Nor Barre appeared to be the main target and had previously been followed by police because of his reporting on politically sensitive matters, including the expected opposition demonstration. The three were released later that night.

NUSOJ said the repeated detentions point to a disturbing pattern in which security forces treat journalists as suspects rather than as professionals serving the public interest. The group argued that the actions violate constitutional protections for freedom of expression and media freedom in Somalia.

“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 urged the Federal Government of Somalia to ensure police and intelligence officers stop blocking journalists from doing their work and to hold accountable those responsible for unlawful detentions.