On Wednesday, 17 December, Radio Gaalkacyo reported that the Puntland Mudug Regional Prosecutor, Muxubo Faysal Axmed, issued a summons ordering Mohamed Abdul Aziz—director of the oldest community-owned radio station, Radio Gaalkacyo, based in Galkayo city—to appear before the Prosecutor’s Office.

A copy of the summons received by SJS states: “The Mudug Regional Prosecutor’s Office directs the Director of Radio Gaalkacyo, Mohamed Abdul Aziz, to appear before the Mudug Regional Prosecutor’s Office on 20/12/2025 at 10:00 a.m. to respond to a complaint filed with the Prosecutor’s Office by the Governor of Mudug Region, Faysal Sheikh Ali.”

Radio Gaalkacyo stated that the summons by the regional prosecutor “is an attempt to use the Office of the Prosecutor to suppress the media.”

According to Mohamed Abdul Aziz, who spoke to SJS, the summons followed Radio Gaalkacyo’s recent reporting on a dispute over the formation of a new district council for Heema town, in northern Mudug.  Local Councillors have alleged interference by Mudug Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali in the process.

On 8 December, Radio Gaalkacyo published a video on its Facebook page showing a group of Galkayo councillors attempting to visit Heema, a rural town outside Galkayo, but reportedly being blocked by armed men acting on the orders of Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali.

On the same day, the station also shared another video featuring local women from Heema who appealed directly to Puntland President Sa’id Abdullahi Deni, urging him to intervene.

The dispute in Heema town followed the removal of a former district council and the reported election of a new one. Community members have raised concerns about worsening drought conditions, lack of adequate water, and the need for a district administration that genuinely represents and understands local realities. Residents say many officials assigned to the area “do not live there and therefore cannot fully grasp” the community’s hardships.

When contacted for comment, Mudug Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali declined to respond.

In June this year, Mohamed Abdul Aziz and a colleague were arrested on the orders of Governor Faysal Sheikh Ali after Radio Gaalkacyo reported on a protest by local youth demanding accountability in Galkayo town.

Galkayo, the capital of central Somalia’s Mudug region, is divided into two administrations: the northern part is under Puntland, while the southern part is administered by Galmudug State.

“SJS calls on the Puntland State’s Mudug Regional Prosecutor to stop harassment and summonses aimed at silencing public-interest reporting. We also urge Governor of Mudug, Mr. Faysal Sheikh Ali to cease using state power to intimidate journalists covering critical issues of public concern,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

“State officials, including those in Mudug region, have many important responsibilities and should focus on those, rather than wasting resources targeting the media that report critically to them. Local communities have the right to express themselves, and when their voices are ignored, the media serves as the frontline defender of their concerns,” added Mr. Mumin.

The post Puntland: Mudug Prosecutor Summons Radio Gaalkacyo Director Over District Council Dispute Reporting appeared first on Kaab TV.

Sharif Shuriye Hashi, a 35-year-old reporter for Universal Somali TV, was arrested from his home in Jowhar on 8 December by Hirshabelle State police officers. According to local journalists, the arrest was led by Hassan Jabshe, Deputy Commander of the Jowhar Police Station.

Sharif’s newly wedded wife, Hamdi Muse Digow, also 35, was arrested on the same day. Both remain in police custody.

During the arrest, Sharif told SJS that he was beaten, handcuffed with a rope, and that he sustained injuries during the beating, including swelling at the back of his head, and continues to suffer severe pain. He added that he has been denied access to medical care. A family member also informed SJS that they are deeply concerned about his deteriorating health due to the abuse and lack of medical attention while in detention.

On Saturday, 13 December, police brought Sharif and his wife before the Jowhar District Court, alleging that their marriage—conducted in September 2025—was “illegitimate.”, according to a report by the local media.  Authorities reportedly claimed that Sharif, who belongs to the Jareer (Bantu) community, could not lawfully marry a woman from the Hawiye/Hawadle clan. This information was reported by Himilo Media and confirmed to SJS by a journalist and a clan elder who attended the court hearing.

During the proceedings, Sharif and Hamdi maintained that they are “legally and willingly” married and presented witnesses to their nikah, which took place on 25 September 2025 in Jowhar, according to a document seen by SJS.  Jowhar police also produced a local sheikh, whom Sharif identified as the cleric who conducted the nikah, along with proof of mobile money payment used during the nikah ceremony. However, according to those present in court, the same sheikh later recanted his statement to the court and stated that he had not conducted the marriage.

Hamdi Muse Digow, who remains in detention, spoke to a local journalist stating that she and her husband were “arrested due to pressure from her clan”. She stated that she is “being detained for marrying a man with whom she had been in a relationship for ten years”.

A clan elder, who requested anonymity, told SJS that elders from both communities met following the court hearing on Saturday to resolve the matter. The discussions ended without agreement, as members of Hamdi’s family reportedly insisted that intermarriage with the Bantu community “was unacceptable”.  Other sources informed SJS that Deputy Police Commander Hassan Jabshe, who is heavily involved in the case, belongs to the same clan as Hamdi.

Both Hassan Jabshe and the Jowhar police command declined to speak to SJS.

Sharif Shuriye Hashi comes from the historically marginalized and often oppressed Jareer (Bantu) community in Southern Somalia. He migrated from Buloburte in central Somalia several years ago, where he began his career as a junior radio reporter for a local radio statiom. In Jowhar, he worked for the local radio station City FM before joining Mogadishu-based Universal Somali TV as its Jowhar correspondent.

In recent weeks, Sharif reported on two significant and sensitive stories. On 23 November 2025, he reported that “fuel prices had sharply increased” after al‑Qaeda-linked al‑Shabaab militants blocked roads to Jowhar and arrested tanker drivers transporting fuel from Mogadishu. Just days before his arrest, On 2 December 2025, he reported “a sharp rise in sesame crop prices in Jowhar markets“, attributing it to recurring droughts and floods affecting farmers in Middle Shabelle.

Local authorities in Hirshabelle have a history of targeting journalists and censoring media outlets that report on underdevelopment in the region and the impact of al-Shabaab’s presence on the livelihoods of local communities.

“SJS strongly condemns the unlawful arrest, abuse, and continued detention of journalist Sharif Shuriye Hashi and his wife Hamdi Muse Digow. Their detention represents a blatant abuse of power, driven by discrimination and intimidation rather than the rule of law. We call for their immediate and unconditional release and for an end to these unfounded court proceedings, which are being used as a tool to harass and silence a journalist for his work,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

“The police must focus on their core responsibility of ensuring public security and protecting civilians, not arresting journalists or making false and intrusive accusations about the legality of personal marriages. Such actions undermine justice, violate fundamental rights, and erode public trust in law enforcement,” Mr. Mumin adds  “We also urge international partners supporting the Somali police to closely scrutinize this case and ensure that their assistance does not contribute to human rights abuses, discrimination, or the suppression of media freedom.”

The post Critical Somali Bantu Journalist Beaten, Arrested with His Wife, and Falsely Accused of Illegitimate Marriage in Hirshabelle State appeared first on Kaab TV.

We strongly condemn the reported threats against journalists who expressed interest in covering the planned opposition-led demonstration scheduled for Saturday.

On Wednesday, 24 September, a dozen journalists faced serious risks to their safety when they accompanied leaders of the opposition, the Somali Salvation Forum, to the Warta Nabadda police station in Mogadishu. The opposition members and accompanying media crews came under gunfire that left at least two people dead and seven others injured, according to media reports. While no journalists were killed, a female journalist, Shukri Aabi Abdi, told SJS that she sustained minor facial bruises as she crawled to safety while seeking shelter.

At least five local media outlets reported losing journalistic equipment as their reporters fled during the attack.

On Thursday, 25 September, the Speaker of the Lower House of the Somali Federal Parliament, Aden Mohamed Nur (Sheikh Aden Madobe), blocked a dozen local journalists who were waiting for his press briefing during his visit to the Warta Nabadda police station. The journalists were kept outside, prevented from reporting, and were warned by armed soldiers not to point their cameras toward the station. Another female reporter from a local TV station told SJS that journalists were held there for more than two hours.

Meanwhile, on Friday, SJS received reports from at least five journalists who said they were prepared to cover the opposition-announced demonstration in Mogadishu on Saturday. The demonstration was called by the Somali Salvation Forum in response to Wednesday’s attack and to protest the ongoing forced evictions affecting Mogadishu residents.

Somali government officials, including Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Mogadishu Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, publicly denounced the planned protest and warned the public against participation.  However, opposition leaders have insisted that the demonstration — which they described as “peaceful” — will go ahead as planned.

“We condemn the violent attack in Mogadishu on Wednesday, which resulted in loss of lives and endangered the safety of journalists as well as many civilians. The repeated targeting, intimidation, and blocking of journalists in Mogadishu is unacceptable and poses a grave threat to press freedom,” said Abdalle Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). “Journalists must be able to report freely and safely, especially on matters of public interest such as opposition activities and demonstrations. We call on the Somali authorities to immediately end these acts of repression and to guarantee the safety and protection of all media workers.”

The post Journalists’ Safety Gravely Undermined During Opposition Coverage in Mogadishu – SJS appeared first on Kaab TV.