Press Freedom

JOINT STATEMENT ON WPFD2020: Media Freedom Under Siege in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia 03 May, 2020 – On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day May 3 2020, we the undersigned Somalia media fraternity express our grave concern on the spate of threats, attacks and intimidation against journalists and media professionals in the past year.

Somalia: Spate of Arrests, Intimidation of Journalists

NAIROBI – Somali authorities have been stepping up their intimidation of journalists as the country faces a growing number of Covid-19 cases. Since mid-April 2020 alone, authorities arbitrarily detained three journalists, accused two of various crimes, and prohibited a local radio station from broadcasting…

Halima-Sadiya Abdullahi: Veteran Somali Journalist Helping Her Community and Women Colleagues

GAROWE – At the age of 30, Halima-Sadiya Abdullahi is already a veteran Somali journalist and well-known to the public in her home state of Puntland in northern Somalia.

On International Workers' Day, SJS calls for adequate protection and fair pay for Somali journalists

MOGADISHU, Somalia 01 May, 2020 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) wishes all Somali journalists a Happy International Workers' Day.

Somali journalist Mohamed Abdiwahab Nuur held incommunicado since early March

Nairobi, April 30, 2020 -- Somali authorities should immediately release radio journalist Mohamed Abdiwahab Nuur and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Letter Urging Somali Government to Protect Free Speech and End Violence Against Journalists

April 22, 2020 H.E. Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi 'Farmaajo' President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Re: Protecting Free Speech and Journalism and Ending Violence Against Journalists Your Excellency:

SOMALIA: SJS welcomes VOA reporter's freedom and the decision to revoke ban of Radio Barawe's local dialect program

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 23 April, 2020- Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) welcomes the release of Voice of America (VOA) journalist, Mukhtar Mohamed Atosh on Wednesday 22 April, 2020 and praises the decision to revoke the ban on Radio Barawe's programming in the Bravanese language.

To crack down on free press, Somalia accuses an imprisoned journalist of being member of 'terror group'

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 22 April, 2020- Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly refutes the trumped up and baseless allegations by the Somali Federal Ministry of Information against Radio Hiigsi's editor, Mohamed Abduwahaab Nuur (Abuuja) held incommunicado since March 7.

SOMALIA: SJS condemns illegal ban on Radio Barawe's Baravanese dialect program

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 21 April, 2020 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the strange and unconstitutional order to ban the community-owned Radio Barawe's programming in the locally spoken Baravanese dialect by the authorities in Barawe, Lower Shabelle region, on Monday 20 April, 2020.

VOA journalist detained after reporting death of a rape victim in Somalia's South West State

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 21 April 2020 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest of Voice of America (VOA) correspondent in Baidoa, Mukhtar Mohamed Atosh on Monday 20 April, 2020 and calls for authorities to stop attempts to charge him.