sjs press release Archives - Kaab TV

SJS Strongly Condemns the Abduction of Journalist Abdihaafid Nor

Staff Reporter — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 07:28:22 +0000

MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the abduction of journalist Abdihaafid Nor by armed officers of the Somali National Army in Mogadishu on the morning of Tuesday, February 24, 2026. SJS is calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

According to reports, armed officers from the Somali National Army abducted journalist Abdihaafid Nor at approximately 1:50 a.m. on February 24 in Mogadishu.

Eyewitnesses told SJS that Abdihaafid was at a restaurant in the area early Tuesday morning when armed officers—some wearing military uniforms and others in civilian clothing—arrived in a pickup truck and forcibly took him away.

Reliable sources informed SJS that the journalist was transported to a military facility inside the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in the Hodan district of Mogadishu. His family and friends have been unable to reach him, and his phone remains switched off.

On Monday, February 23, Abdihaafid Nor, a reporter with Somali Cable Television who is also active on Facebook, published a report about the dismissal of four commanders from the Turkish-trained Gorgor forces.

According to his report, the officers were removed from their posts following a dispute over orders to deduct $100 from allowances allocated to soldiers who had been wounded or fallen ill while serving in the unit. The four commanders reportedly refused to carry out the order, leading to their immediate dismissal.

Military sources told SJS that the report angered certain officers within the Gorgor unit and that this may have led to the journalist’s abduction.

SJS strongly condemns this act of abduction, describing it as a serious violation of press freedom and the fundamental rights of journalists.

“The abduction of our colleague Abdihaafid Nor, who exposed the dismissal of Gorgor force commanders in the public interest, is a direct attack on press freedom,” said SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin.

“We call on the officers of the Somali National Army who abducted Abdihaafid Nor to release him immediately and unconditionally. We also demand an end to intimidation, unlawful detention, and reprisals against journalists operating in Somalia,” Mumin added.

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Somali Journalists Covering Protests and Market Reporting Attacked by NISA and Galmudug President’s Guards in Mogadishu

Kaab TV News Editor — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 18:41:40 +0000

MOGADISHU – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the attacks on four Kalsan TV journalists by NISA and the presidential guards of Galmudug State in Mogadishu, which occurred on 28 August and 8 September, respectively. SJS also condemns the threats against journalist Farhan Mohamed Barale by the Mogadishu police.

On 8 September 2025, the presidential guards of Galmudug State President Ahmed Abdi Kaariye Qoor Qoor assaulted, threatened, fired live bullets, and kidnapped two journalists: Jafar Mohamed Jimale (reporter) and Abdimajid Abdirahman (cameraman), both working for Kalsan TV.

According to media reports, shortly before the arrest, evicted families—mostly women and children—were protesting near the residence where President Qoor Qoor was staying in Mogadishu, voicing complaints over forced evictions carried out by the federal government. The demonstration was organized by residents displaced from the former fire brigade camp at Wadajir district, who accused Qoor Qoor of breaking his promise to provide them with alternative land after their homes were demolished. In April last year, the president himself had addressed these same families, assuring them they would be allocated permanent land for resettlement.

As the Kalsan TV journalists were covering the protest, President Qoor Qoor deployed his security forces to target them while they were carrying out their professional duties. The journalists told SJS that the president’s armed guards abducted, beat, and held them for more than three hours inside Qoor Qoor’s residence in Hodan district. They were eventually released after the security detail deleted the footage they had recorded.

Galmudug President’s communication team did not respond to SJS calls seeking answers regarding the journalists’ case.

Feysal Abdi Farah, a reporter for Kalsan TV, and Hassan Mohamed Hashi. | PHOTO/SJS/Combined.

On 28 August 2025, plainclothes officers of the Somalia National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) unlawfully detained Feysal Abdi Farah, a reporter for Kalsan TV, and Hassan Mohamed Hashi, a cameraman, while they were covering the rising fish prices at Mogadishu’s fish market in Hamarweyne district.

The journalists told SJS that the armed officers first approached and harassed them while they were interviewing fishmongers, before placing them under arrest. According to Kalsan TV, the journalists were held in an open area of the market for nearly two hours, during which their equipment was confiscated and their recorded content deleted, before they were eventually released.

This attack adds to the growing number of cases in which newly deployed NISA officers in Mogadishu have repeatedly targeted journalists—and even ordinary citizens—for speaking out or criticizing the authorities. As a result, many local media houses have become increasingly reluctant to send their crews into the streets to carry out reporting assignments.

On 28 August, online journalist Farhan Mohamed Barale reported that he received threats of arrest and intimidation from the Dayniile police commander, Captain Ahmed Ali Yalahow, following his reporting on insecurity and armed robberies in the Dayniile district of Mogadishu. The journalist stated that he received phone calls from Captain Yalahow threatening him with arrest. Farhan also posted publicly on his Facebook account, warning his family and friends that if he were to “disappear or face harm”, it would be the responsibility of Captain Yalahow.

Online journalist Farhan Mohamed Barale. | PHOTO/Courtesy/SJS.

On 27 August, a female journalist working for the online platform Dalbile TV, Anisa Ahmed, was arrested at Dayniile police station for a day after Captain Yalahow’s men brought her there. She had been detained following her report on armed robbery incidents including one she was a victim in the Dayniile district.

Captain Yalahow did not respond to calls from SJS. However, SJS reviewed a statement he posted on his personal Facebook account on 25 August, two days after the Dalbile TV report. In the post, Captain Yalahow appeared to acknowledge the occurrence of armed robberies in his district and even urged locals to report such incidents to the police.

“We strongly condemn the assault, threats, live gunfire, and the kidnapping of journalists Jafar Mohamed Jimale and Abdimajid Abdirahman, both working for Kalsan TV. We demand answers from President Qoor Qoor’s office in Galmudug and call for accountability for the security officers who kidnapped and assaulted the journalists,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

“SJS also condemns the unlawful detention of Feysal Abdi Farah and Hassan Mohamed Hashi by NISA, as well as the threats and intimidation against Farhan Mohamed Barale, all targeted simply for their journalism work,” added Mr. Mumin. “Targeting media professionals for doing their jobs is unacceptable and undermines press freedom in Somalia. We call on the Mogadishu authorities to immediately investigate these incidents, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure the safety of journalists so they can report freely without fear of harassment or violence.”

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Mahad Salad’s Return to NISA Signals a Dark Turn for Press Freedom in Somalia

Kaab TV News Editor — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:02:10 +0000

MOGADISHU, Somalia 16 June 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses deep alarm over the reappointment of Mahad Mohamed Salad as Director of the Somalia National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA)—a move widely seen as a reward for his well-documented abuses against independent journalists, media institutions, and vulnerable communities, often involving threats, fear, and acts of violence.

Mahad Salad was initially appointed as NISA chief on 26 May 2022 but was dismissed on 4 April 2024 following numerous allegations of targeted attacks on media institutions, civil society groups, and minority communities, as reported by the media. Sadly no investigation was made into his crimes. He was reappointed on 1 June 2025 and officially assumed office Saturday 14 June.

Targeted Crackdown on SJS and Independent Media

On 10 October 2022, NISA agents raided the offices of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) in Mogadishu after staff had completed their workday. CCTV footage obtained by SJS shows the operation was led by a former Al-Shabaab defector employed by NISA.

On 11 October 2022, SJS Secretary-General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin was abducted at Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport and held incommunicado for 11 days in an underground cell. During his detention, he survived torture and an assassination attempt. On 13 April 2024, Banadir Court froze SJS bank accounts, using leaked private information supplied by Premier Bank, a bank tied to the Somali government. Further, NISA officers interrupted SJS women journalists’ training in Mogadishu in January 2024.

SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin. | PHOTO/SJS.

On 23 February 2023, Mumin was re-arrested by NISA and police officers under orders from Mahad Salad and in coordination with Deputy Minister of Information Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala. He endured 33 days of torture and mistreatment in secret facilities until he was released in late March 2023 and forced to leave the country.

Under Salad’s direction, journalists in Mogadishu and beyond were subjected to surveillance, arbitrary arrests, violence, and threats. SJS has documented the following incidents:

30 November 2022: Journalists at the People’s House (Federal Parliament) were threatened with death or imprisonment for questioning lawmakers about the Villa Rays hotel attack.
18 December 2022: UK-based Channel 4 correspondent Jamal Muhumed Osman, a Somali-British, was unlawfully detained and sent back by NISA agents while he was arriving for journalism assignment.
19 December 2022: NISA officers assaulted Arlaadi Media reporter Mohamed Nur Mohamed inside the Parliament premises.
24 December 2022: SJS legal officer Abdirahman Hassan Omar and staff members were unlawfully detained at Mogadishu airport by NISA agents under Mahad Salad en route to a journalist training in Hiiraan.
24 December 2022: Arlaadi Media editor Aweys Bashir Abdirahman was beaten near KM4 by suspected NISA agents.
10 February 2023: SJS legal adviser Abdirahman Hassan Omar was attacked by four armed men in a targeted assault. The attack occured in Bakaro market area controlled by NISA.
20 February 2023: Radio Kulmiye journalists Ali Elmi Salad and Sakariye Mohamed Salad were arrested and interrogated by NISA.
7 April 2023: NISA officer in-charge of the Mogadishu airport, Mahad Arab Dhiblawe issued public threats against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin and journalists from Risaala Media following an interview Mr. Mumin gave to the radio in relation to his arrest and kidnapping by NISA in Mogadishu. Days later, the journalist said he was forced to remove an interview with Abdalle Mumin following online attacks from the Somali Ministry of Information.
In August 2023, SJS’s website and email systems were put offline by a wave DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks traced to IP addresses rented by criminal groups believed to be linked to NISA. The non-profit group Qurium which investigated the attacks and made its analysis indicated that it thwarted “nearly 20,000 IP addresses coming to SJS website with millions of requests” on August 18 and 19. The attack began on the heels of the kidnapping of SJS Secretary of Information and Human Rights, Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul by NISA in Mogadishu.
On 17 August 2023, SJS Secretary of Information and Human Rights, Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, was kidnapped by NISA and police agents and held for 56 days after exposing police corruption.

Journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, SJS Information and Human Rights Secretary. | Photo/File.

Expansion of Abuses Beyond Media: Extortion and Extrajudicial Killings

Journalists and editors have reported to SJS how insiders working as informants within media houses monitored and threatened journalists critical of NISA. This has forced many Somali journalists into self-censorship or exile to avoid persecution.

Between May 2022 and April 2024, a new tactic emerged involving the use of bribes and social media trolls to discredit, harass, and threaten journalists and civil society actors. These troll networks—funded through covert channels by NISA—have systematically targeted government critics, often smearing their reputations or inciting violence against them online.

In some cases, journalists were also threatened by Al-Shabaab operatives after reporting critically on NISA leadership, illustrating the dangerous double-bind facing independent media in Somalia—caught between state repression and extremist threats.

Photo: A screengrab from CCTV footage shows the moment NISA gunmen raided the SJS office in Mogadishu on October 10, 2022.

In February 2024, journalists reporting on the murder of UK-trained Somali air traffic controller Abdinasir Muse Dahable—who was found murdered after being tortured—were threatened by NISA officers linked to Mahad Salad. The killing was linked to NISA officers under Salad’s command, one of whom fled to Nairobi. Five men who were also arrested by NISA following the Dahable’s death were reported to have endured torture under NISA.

No independent investigation has been carried out to date; however, local journalists told SJS they were threatened with “death or disappearance” if they spoke about the case.

On 18 March 2024, a Turkish drone strike in Afgoye based on faulty NISA intel killed 23 civilians. Amnesty International investigation found that civilians killed in the strikes included 14 children, five women and four men. Another 17 civilians were injured in the strikes: 11 children, two women and four men. All are from the marginalized Gorgaarte clan. Families seeking justice were threatened by NISA and accused of terrorist affiliations. Mahad Salad aides also threatened reporters on the ground who were investigating the incident.

SJS reiterates that holding Mahad Mohamed Salad accountable would be a critical step toward ending the entrenched culture of impunity—not only for attacks on journalists, but also for the widespread abuses inflicted on Somalia’s most vulnerable communities during his tenure—thereby contributing to lasting peace, stability, and the restoration of the rule of law in the country.

“Instead of holding him accountable, the Somali government has rewarded Mahad Mohamed Salad with his crimes, greenlighting more abuses against journalists and marginalized communities,” said SJS President Mohamed Ibrahim. “We urge the Somali government to immediately review this decision, remove Salad, and prosecute him. His victims deserve justice and protection. He should not be allowed to rule with terror again.”

“We also call on the international community, including press freedom and human rights organizations, to speak out and support accountability efforts—those who suffered under his leadership are still waiting for justice,” Mr. Ibrahim added.

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Somali Intelligence Agents Raid Media Outlet After Reports of Forced Voter Registration

Kaab TV News Editor — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 10:07:16 +0000

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 13 June 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the Thursday morning raid on the office of the privately-owned online television platform Himilo Somali TV in Mogadishu.

The raid was carried out by armed members of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in an apparent attempt to remove an interview deemed critical of the disputed federal electoral commission.

According to two journalists who spoke to SJS, at around 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, 12 June, fourteen armed NISA officers arrived at the Himilo Somali TV studio on Maka Al-Mukarama Road. Eight officers entered the premises while six remained stationed at the gate. The journalists, who were present inside the studio at the time, said the armed men terrorized the staff. The journalists locked themselves inside an office and refused to open the door. The NISA agents then contacted the station’s manager who were not inside at the time and demanded the removal of an interview broadcast earlier that morning.

In the interview seen by SJS, a young man revealed he had been “abducted from the street by armed men affiliated with the disputed electoral commission” in Mogadishu and was “forcibly registered as a voter without his consent”. The man expressed frustration, saying he felt “powerless and later tore up the registration documents” in protest.

A senior manager at Himilo Somali TV told SJS that the NISA agents also demanded the contact information of the young man interviewed—information the station refused to provide. The officers eventually left the studio but threatened to track down the television editor. At the time of publication, the interview, which SJS had reviewed, remained available online.

Screenshot from an interview broadcast by Himilo Somali TV on Thursday, 12 June 2025.

This raid is not an isolated incident. It is part of an ongoing pattern of attacks targeting media outlets and journalists perceived as critical of the electoral commission.

The commission members were appointed in late November 2024 by the council of the ministers, and in December, they announced the selection of Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, a close ally of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as their chairman. Multiple sources confirm that Abdikarin holds dual Somali-American citizenship. His appointment and the commission’s voter registration activities have been strongly rejected by opposition groups and regional states, including Puntland and Jubbaland.

On 5 May 2025, NISA agents raided a residential home and media studio in Mogadishu’s Shibis district belonging to journalists Bashir Ali Shire and Mohamed Omar Baakaay. The journalists had previously spoken out about the abduction of “vulnerable women and youth” and their forced registration as voters. The attack occurred one day after Farah Adani, the Commissioner of Mogadishu’s Karaan district and a known supporter of the president, publicly incited violence against journalists. Adani urged supporters to “take machetes and sticks,” “break the journalist’s bones,” and even demanded “bring him in handcuffs.” He also labeled the journalist a “drug addict” and “worse than terrorists.” Following the threats, Mohamed Omar Baakaay went into hiding. Adani, now a member of the president’s new political party, later issued a public apology.
On 28 May, Turkish-trained Haramcad forces in Mogadishu’s Kaxda district targeted three journalists: Nuh Farah Mahad (Reporter, RTN TV), Mohamed Abdukadir (Cameraman, RTN TV), Mohamed Abdi Hassan (Reporter, Five Somali TV). The journalists were covering a protest led by local elders who had been excluded from the controversial voter registration process. Shortly after the elders’ press conference, the journalists were attacked by armed officers. They were detained for nearly an hour, threatened, and ordered to surrender their equipment. They were later released after a group of clan elders intervened. The journalists reported that NISA gunmen attempted to shoot at them with pistols. That same day, RTN TV reported that police were conducting door-to-door raids in Kaxda, forcing residents to register as voters.
In another incident on 26 May, journalists from multiple media outlets were attacked while reporting in Kaxda on the alleged abduction of local laborers by NISA. These laborers—primarily porters and construction workers—were lured with promises of employment, then locked up and forcibly registered as voters, according to media reports.
A similar occurrence took place at Bakara Market, where journalists were threatened and had their equipment confiscated while documenting cases of alleged forced voter registration in May. Several street vendors and shop owners reported being abducted by NISA and compelled to register against their will, media reported.
During this month (June 2025), media continued to report increasing incidents of forced voter registration affecting ordinary citizens—including students, teachers, and pedestrians. Victims report being stopped in public and having their photos taken without consent. Affected areas include Bakara Market, neighborhoods in Hodan District, and along Industrial Road, which connects to Dayniile, Yaaqshiid, and Huriwa districts.

SJS attempted to contact Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan for comment, but he was unavailable.

“The ongoing intimidation, raids, and threats against independent journalists and media outlets in Mogadishu who dare to report critically on the disputed voter registration process represent a dangerous escalation in the crackdown on press freedom in Somalia,” said Abdalle Mumin, Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS).

“Targeting journalists for exposing voter manipulation and abuse of power is not only unlawful—it undermines democratic principles, silences the voices of the Somali people, and erodes public trust in the system. We call on those involved to immediately end these attacks, hold all responsible parties accountable, and allow the media to report on violations freely and independently,” adds Mr. Mumin.

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No More Whitewashing: Somalia Must Uphold Constitution and International Norms in Forming Human Rights Commission

Kaab TV News Editor — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 08:35:19 +0000

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses deep concern over the Somali president’s office attempting to establish a puppet National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) through a non-transparent, unconstitutional, and politically manipulated process that blatantly contravenes both Somalia’s Provisional Constitution and international human rights standards.

If left unchallenged, this move risks enabling the whitewashing of grave human rights violations across the country.

On Saturday, 31 May 2025, SJS observed media reports indicating that the Minister of Women and Human Rights had began the selection of the members of the yet-to-be-formed NHRC. This body, according to the Provisional Constitution, is to be established by the Federal Parliament, not by the President’s Office or a cabinet minister.

It is deeply concerning that Minister Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, acting under instructions from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, proceeded this process without transparency and legal clarity thereby violating both national laws and international norms.

SJS reiterates the urgent need for a genuinely independent National Human Rights Commission, as articulated in Article 41 of the Provisional Constitution, which states:
“The Federal Parliament shall establish a Human Rights Commission that is independent of State control, and has adequate resources to carry out its functions effectively.”

The Constitution also states what functions this commission is going to undertake and it states “The functions of the Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shall include the promotion of knowledge of human rights, setting implementation standards, monitoring rights violations, and investigating alleged abuses.”

In addition, Law No. 18 of 2016, enacted on 14 August 2016, provides the legal framework for the Somalia National Human Right Commission, emphasizing its “independence from government control, transparency, and autonomy in decision-making.”

Contradictions in the Current Process

Despite these clear legal provisions, the current process was initiated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, through Minister of Women and Human Rights, Khadija Al-Makhzoumi, without any legal basis or public participation. Individuals—many with ties to government ministries or personal connections to top officials—were invited for a so-called examination, without a publicly announced or merit-based selection procedure.

This is not the first irregularity. In December 2023, the same ministry sent emails calling for NHRC applications via email (seen by SJS) and has been reported by the media. However, many qualified applicants reported receiving no response. Later, they discovered through the media that certain individuals had already been selected without public vetting or due process.

Why is the government pushing this now?

Somalia has never had an independent national human rights commission. For years, federal authorities in Mogadishu have delayed or resisted the establishment of a credible NHRC. The process has been plagued by political interference, lack of transparency, and non-compliance with constitutional and international obligations.

This move comes at a time of intense political instability and fragmentation in Somalia. The federal government’s relations with Puntland and Jubaland have deteriorated. Meanwhile, unilateral constitutional amendments and electoral reforms are being pushed forward by President Hassan Sheikh’s administration. Simultaneously, attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and civilians by both the government and Al-Shabaab have increased.

Establishing a government-controlled NHRC in this volatile context would not serve justice—it would only legitimize repression, whitewash abuses, and shield violators from accountability.

SJS reminds the Somali government—particularly the Ministry of Women and Human Rights and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud—that the NHRC must be formed in line with international norms, notably the Paris Principles, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1993, and reinforced by the Kigali Declaration (2003) of the African Union.

The Paris Principles emphasize:

Transparent and participatory selection processes involving civil society, academia, and human rights organizations.
Merit-based selection of the commission members grounded in integrity and commitment to human rights.
Public calls for applications, background checks, and open vetting.
Independent, pluralistic selection committees free from political influence.
Parliamentary oversight and legal grounding to ensure independence and legitimacy.

Similarly, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Resolution 31 requires that NHRIs: (a) Be established by constitutional or legislative mandate; (b) Be independent of government control; (c) Have a broad, actionable mandate, including powers to investigate, report, and recommend action; (d) Be financially autonomous.

What we witnessed on Saturday in Mogadishu stands in direct violation of all these standards. SJS calls on the Federal Government of Somalia to immediately halt the ongoing process and restart the formation of the NHRC in full compliance with Article 41 of the Provisional Constitution and international standards.

SJS makes the following recommendations:

The Somali government must reform the election process and ensure it is legally grounded, publicly communicated, and free from political interference in any form.
As requires by the Constitution, the Parliament must establish an Independent Selection Committee and include credible and trustworthy representatives from civil society, minority groups, academia, and legal experts with clean background.
The Parliament must ensure transparent vetting and appointment procedures, and base appointments on objective, merit-based criteria with public oversight.
The federal government must guarantee NHRC independence and the commission must operate free from government control or political manipulation.
The Parliament must ensure oversight to ensure that all appointments must be reviewed and confirmed by the Federal Parliament following broad consultations with civil society.
The selection committee must prevent rights abusers from involvement in the committee and individuals implicated in human rights violations must be barred from participating in the selection process or serving on the commission.

SJS Call to Somali Civil Society

SJS urges independent Somali civil society organizations to take a proactive role in advocating for a credible, inclusive, and transparent NHRC formation process. Somalia deserves a national human rights institution that defends victims and holds all actors accountable, including the state.

SJS Call to the International Community

SJS also call on international partners, and development organizations to closely monitor this process and ensure that any support provided aligns with international human rights standards and promotes a genuinely independent NHRC.

“This flawed process of the selection of the National Human Rights Commission can and must be corrected. SJS affirms that a credible, independent National Human Rights Commission is far better than a politicized, government-controlled one. Somalia needs an National Human Rights Commission that protects the rights of its people—not one that enables impunity,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.

(Source: SJS)

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