Human Rights

Eritrea: Ten years on, Ciham Ali's ongoing enforced disappearance 'a disgrace'

NAIROBI - Responding to the Eritrean government's ten-year silence on the whereabouts of Ciham Ali, an Eritrean American who was arrested on 8 December 2012 when she was just 15 years old and held in secret detention ever after, Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Research…

CPJ: Burkina Faso suspends French broadcaster RFI

New York, December 5, 2022 – In response to Burkina Faso authorities' suspension of programming by French broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI), the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement Monday condemning the decision:

Somalia media community decries worsening press freedom, calls for accountability for perpetrators

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) In a gathering in Mogadishu on Monday, the local media community decried the worsening media freedom in Somalia as they made a call urging top leadership of the federal government to respect journalists' rights and their safety.

Threats, arbitrary detention against Somali journalists on the rise amid crackdown on free press

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) is extremely concerned by the rise of physical threats, harassment and arbitrary detention against journalists working in Somalia forcing some of the media workers to begin fleeing the country for their safety.

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, UN calls for Somalia to build on commendable progress

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), the United Nations in Somalia today commended the Somali authorities for their progress in recognizing the rights of persons with disabilities and encouraged them to build on their achievements.

Somalia: Family's agony as African Union forces kill a young university graduate outside Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Abdirahman Farah Sidow, a young university graduate was returning to his tailor shop when he was hit by a military vehicle of the African Union forces at Elasha Biyaha on the outskirts of Mogadishu on Wednesday 30 November 2022. He was rushed to the hospital where he passed…

Malawi: Killing of a girl with albinism shows community urgently needs better protection

KASUNGO (HORN OBSERVER) The killing of a three-year-old girl shows the urgent need to better protect people with albinism following a series of attacks over recent weeks.

African Court to give verdict on case challenging Tanzania's ban on pregnant girls and adolescent mothers attending school

ARUSHA (HORN OBSERVER) The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights will issue its final judgment on the Equality Now and Tike Mwapimbile case against the United Republic of Tanzania regarding the Government of Tanzania's policy of permanently expelling pregnant girls from school, and banning adolescent…

As drought bites, FAO and Germany step up humanitarian action in rural Somalia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) In response to the growing food insecurity the Government of Germany and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have together increased humanitarian assistance through cash transfers to mitigate the impact of drought on the food security and livelihoods…

UN Committee finds torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence committed by NISA

GENEVA (HORN OBSERVER) The UN Committee against Torture (CAT) issued its findings regarding the torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence committed by the Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

Somali Media fraternity call for the Benadir regional court to dismiss the case against SJS Secretary General.

MOGADISHU, Somalia 26 November 2022 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somalia Mechanism for Safety of Journalists (SMSJ) call for the Benadir Regional Court to dismiss the case against SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin since the 45 days requested by…

Ethiopia: Survivors of sexual violence deserve justice and accountability

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Amnesty International is reiterating its call to mediators in the ongoing peace process on Ethiopia to prioritise justice for survivors,…

How a Somali police officer raped an IDP woman, extorted $10 from her family

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Rape and sexual violence perpetrated by powerful police men against women and girls from minority communities on the rise in Mogadishu as a 35-year-old woman in the displacement of Barkhadle camp in Garas Baley district, Mogadishu becomes the latest victim this week.

Germany commits €40 million to African Development Bank Group's Climate Action initiative for fragile African states

SHARM EL-SHEIKH (HORN OBSERVER) Germany has committed €40 million to the African Development Bank Group's Climate Action Window, German State Secretary for Economic Cooperation and Development Jochen Flasbarth has announced.

Somalia's Ministry of Information sets new conditions to drop charges and free Abdalle Mumin

MOGADISHU – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), the Somali Media Association (SOMA) and the Somalia Mechanism for Safety of the Journalists (SMSJ) reject the new demands put forward by the Somalia Federal Government's Ministry of Information in exchange for the freedom of SJS Secretary-General,…

Amnesty tells Somali authorities to stop harassing, persecuting Abdalle Mumin

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) The human rights group Amnesty International today called Somali authorities to stop harassing and persecuting the Secretary-General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, who is currently out if jail on bail after he was targeted and detained by Somalia's…

51 Somali journalists complete training funded by the U.S Embassy

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) completed a journalism training course on professionalising Somali media inline with freedom of expression benefitting 51 journalists across six regions in Somalia.

Outspoken Somali lecturer to file a lawsuit in Sweden against ex-Somali PM Roble

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) An outspoken and critical Somali-Kenyan university lecturer, Abdiwahab Abdisamad is filing a civil court case implicating former Somali prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble in Sweden, lawyers told Horn Observer.

New report reveals Africa is facing a crisis in funding for climate adaptation

ROTTERDAM (HORN OBSERVER) Africa is facing a critical shortfall in funding for climate adaptation according to a new report, State and Trends in Adaptation in Africa 2022, launched by the Global Center on Adaptation.

Ethiopia: On 2nd anniversary of conflict, Amnesty campaign to highlight gravity of human rights crisis

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) Ahead of the two-year anniversary of northern Ethiopia's ongoing armed conflict, which broke out on 3 November 2020 and has since led to appalling violations by parties on all sides, Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for campaigns East…