Somalia Arrests Journalist Amid Intensifying Press Clampdown
Somalia has arrested another journalist, AliNur Salaad, for reporting on drug use in the Somali military, marking the latest incident in a clampdown on critical reporting. Salaad was detained last week and accused of “immorality, false reporting, and insulting the armed forces” after publishing a now-deleted video suggesting soldiers were vulnerable to al-Shabaab attacks due to the widespread use of the traditional narcotic khat.
Angela Quintal, head of the African program at the Committee to Protect Journalists, called on Somali authorities to drop the case and allow journalists to report freely on public affairs. Quintal emphasized that Somalia must end its practice of harassing and arbitrarily detaining journalists.
In the past month, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) criticized threats and charges against Mohamed Salah for “false and misleading information” in reporting on the suspension of aid organization licenses by Puntland. Said Abdullahi Kulmiye was also arrested in July for reporting on police and armed men demanding bribes at checkpoints, and Abdulkadir Isse, a state media employee, was blocked from reporting after publishing an article on corruption involving a government minister.
In May, journalists Sharma’arke Abdi Mahdi and Abdinur Hayi Hashi were shot at by police officers in Dhobley after reporting on the local administration’s lack of support for internally displaced people. Salaad was given bail on Saturday after five days in detention, but no hearing date has been set.
SJS secretary general Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, who was imprisoned for two months in 2023 over the SJS’s opposition to restrictive legislation, said such detentions and proceedings create a climate of fear that inhibits journalists from critical and independent reporting.
Mumin noted that this sends a chilling message to journalists, causing them to fear for their safety and question their ability to continue their work.
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