HARGEISA (KAAB TV) – The Maroodi-Jeex Regional Court in Somaliland has sentenced prominent activist and philanthropist Abdimaalik Muse Oldoon to six months in prison and imposed a fine of three million Somaliland shillings.
Details regarding the charges on which the court based its ruling have not been made public. It has been reported that Oldoon declined legal representation, choosing instead to defend himself during the proceedings.
Oldoon was arrested on April 4th in the city of Berbera, shortly after returning from a period of evasion in eastern Somaliland. He had previously claimed that he fled intentionally, believing he would be arrested upon return. Despite reassurances from his family that he would not be detained, he was arrested soon after coming back.
Observers believe that Oldoon’s arrest may be linked to his public reaction to a controversial Al Jazeera report, which claimed that Somaliland had agreed to host displaced Palestinians from Gaza—an assertion that the Somaliland government has firmly denied. In response to the report, Oldoon stated:
“I am from Somalia, and the minister does not represent us. He represents a mercenary government. The Palestinian people are our brothers, and the people of Gaza will continue to be patient and persistent on their land.”
This comment, critical of the government’s stance, is believed to have triggered official backlash.
Oldoon has previously faced legal action, including arrests on allegations of defamation and spreading misinformation related to the Abarso School and the Hargeisa Cultural Center. Those charges were neither formally prosecuted nor dismissed.
His tension with the Somaliland government dates back to 2017, when he publicly expressed support for then-Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo while working as a journalist.