MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s leading journalists’ union on Monday accused parliamentary leaders of suppressing press freedom during high-stakes constitutional debates, alleging reporters were blocked from the legislature and that audio from raucous sessions was digitally scrubbed to mute dissenting noise.
In a statement, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) called the actions a serious attack on transparency and democratic accountability, saying reporters were denied access, removed from the building and intimidated for documenting disorder inside the House of the People.
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The union said the crackdown began Jan. 28, when three television journalists were barred from entering parliament after posting video clips on their personal Facebook accounts that showed uproar during constitutional debates. The journalists are:
- Nimo Muhudiin Ardofe, Somali Cable TV
- Amina Ibrahim Abdirahman, Arlaadi TV
- Rowda Hassan Taakile, Goobjoog TV
On Feb. 2, the same journalists were again blocked by parliamentary officials and security forces, NUSOJ said, while other reporters already inside were removed to halt coverage of unfolding disputes. The union said all journalists were expelled from the parliament on Feb. 7.
NUSOJ said it sent a formal protest letter on Feb. 2 to the Speaker of the House of the People, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur, demanding an immediate end to what it described as unlawful restrictions. While the three women journalists were later readmitted to the premises, the union said there was no public acknowledgment of wrongdoing and that the earlier violations were not remedied.
Beyond physical restrictions, the union said it was alarmed by the use of technology to alter the public record. During a session marked by shouting, whistles and loud protests, NUSOJ alleged that artificial intelligence-based audio processing isolated and amplified the official speaker’s voice while suppressing surrounding sounds — including dissent from the floor.
“The public received an edited soundscape where tension and resistance were digitally erased,” the statement said. “This undermines the integrity of the public record.”
NUSOJ argued that parliamentary debates are defined not only by formal speeches but also by disagreement, interruptions and political contestation — elements that provide essential context for citizens. The union warned that the growing use of technology to reshape political information poses a broader danger by eroding trust and weakening democratic transparency. “Punishing journalists for documenting factual events is intimidation,” it said.
The union demanded immediate steps to restore press access and protect the accuracy of parliamentary information flows, including:
- Unrestricted access for accredited journalists to cover proceedings
- An end to political interference in editorial decisions
- Firm guarantees that neither administrative measures nor technological tools will be used to distort the factual record
The dispute unfolded as Somalia’s federal parliament concluded debate Monday on Chapter Four of the Provisional Constitution, focusing on Articles 49, 50 and 54, which define the federal system, relations between the central government and member states, and the division of powers. NUSOJ linked its concerns directly to those tumultuous sessions, saying attempts to sanitize the sound of the chamber and to sideline reporters deprived the public of an accurate understanding of a critical phase in Somalia’s constitutional process.
The parliamentary leadership did not immediately issue a public response in the union’s account. NUSOJ framed the stakes in civic terms, insisting that “media freedom, equal access and truthful documentation are not privileges — they are rights and duties at the core of democratic governance.”
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
