Human Rights

Somalia ministers 'secretly' meet court judges to push for a case against Abdalle Mumin

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) A secret meeting on the case against the Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) Abdalle Ahmed Mumin took place between two Somali government officials and the chairman of the Banadir Regional Court and his counterpart at the Banadir Appeals Court last week,…

Somaliland forces shoot and kill outraged 'pro-Somalia' civilian protesters in Lasanod

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Violent protests have been going on for the fourth day consecutively in Lasanod in the Sool region as the death toll of civilians shot dead by Somaliland forces has increased, the local media reports on Friday.

Local journalists detained in Mogadishu and Galmudug amid ongoing crackdown of free press in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Horn Observer) Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the Somali Media Association (SOMA) condemn the arbitrary detention of five local journalists in Mogadishu and in Galmudug over their coverage deemed critical to the authorities as we call both federal and Galmudug officials to…

UPDATE: At least 2 civilians killed, several others injured in Baidoa armed clashes

BAIDOA (HORN OBSERVER) At least two civilians have been confirmed dead and several others wounded after armed clashes broke out in Baidoa town, the capital of Somalia's federal member state of Southwest on Friday, doctors at the main hospital and officials said.

Fighting erupts in Baidoa, residents begin fleeing the city

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Heavy gunfight has erupted in Baidoa, a city surrounded by al-Shabab militants, is at the heart of Somalia's worst drought in 40 years, residents and officials said on Friday.

Somalia: Authorities raid and close down Radio Hiiraanweyn, 4 journalists detained after covering al-Shabaab attack

MOGADISHU, Somalia 22 December 2022 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), the Somali Media Association (SOMA) and Somalia Mechanism for Safety of the Journalists (SMSJ) condemn the raid and closure of the independent local Radio Hiiraanweyn in Beledweyne, Hiiraan region on Thursday 22 December, as…

Cameroon: Amnesty International urges release of Abdul Karim Ali, a peace activist detained without charge for more than four months

NAIROBI (HORN OBSERVER) Amnesty International calls on the Cameroonian authorities to urgently provide the legal basis for the detention of Abdul Karim Ali, a peace activist, who has been held without charge since 11 August 2022 and kept in inhuman conditions or release him immediately.

Somali forces shot dead children escaping from forced recruitment in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) At least two children were shot dead and eight others injured after Somali government forces fired live bullets to stop teenagers and underage boys fleeing from forced recruitment of soldiers in Mogadishu on Wednesday, mothers of the children and local journalists…

Somalia defence minister admits renewed U.S airstrike, contradicts Turkish drone war in Somalia

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) The defence minister of the Somali Federal Government has on Wednesday corroborated emerging reports of the renewed U.S airstrikes in Somalia while making contradiction on the involvement of Turkish drone strikes in the Horn of African country.

Somalia: SJS condemns new restrictions and censorship orders imposed on local media, calls upon Somali authorities to respect press freedom

MOGADISHU, Somalia 19 December 2022 – Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the new instructions by the Villa Somalia to censor local media stations by demanding news outlets to submit written copies of their news reporting daily to Villa Somalia's directorate of communications, according…

Somalia govt restricts Channel4 freelance journalist, imposes new measures on local media

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) Somali authorities in Mogadishu on Sunday stopped Jamal Osman, the Africa Correspondent for Channel 4 News shortly after his flight landed at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, colleagues and local press freedom activists told Horn Observer.

Somalia: Drop charges against journalist and support free speech

ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa and six other freedom of expression organisations have called on Somalia's attorney general to drop all charges against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), with immediate effect.

Somalia: Protecting displaced Somalis from gender-based violence highlighted at roundtable discussion

Mogadishu – The importance of protecting internally displaced women and children from gender-based violence was highlighted today at a United Nations-supported roundtable discussion in Mogadishu.

Report shows need for greater action if Africa is to hit Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2063 Targets

BALACLAVA (HORN OBSERVER) The coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and climate change have all hampered Africa's progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kenya: Meta sued for 1.6 billion USD for fueling Ethiopia ethnic violence

Meta must reform its business practices to ensure Facebook's algorithms do not amplify hatred and fuel ethnic conflict, Amnesty International said today in the wake of a landmark legal action against Meta submitted in Kenya's High Court.

Somalia: RFK Human Rights and other leading international organizations call on Somali government officials to drop charges against Abdalle Ahmed Mumin

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights joins six other international organizations in a letter to Somali government officials calling for all charges against journalist, press freedom advocate, and Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, to be dropped.

Somalia: Journalists in Jubaland State benefit from improved media training

Kismayo– 50 Somali journalists based in Kismayo, Jubaland State, have benefited from a 3-day media training to improve their media skills, personal safety and to professionally report on security in the Federal Member State.

ICC to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so

THE HAGUE (HORN OBSERVER) The International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court") joins the rest of the world in marking Human Rights Day and commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on this day in 1948.

Somalia: Marking international day, UN calls for ensuring human rights for all Somalis

Mogadishu – In observance of this year's Human Rights Day, the United Nations in Somalia has called on Somalis to stand up for human rights to ensure that everyone, including members of vulnerable and marginalized communities, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, and others…

Somalia: On Human Rights Day, SJS calls on accountability for violations against freedom of expression

MOGADISHU, Somalia 10 December 2022 – Marking the International Human Rights Day, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) today calls on accountability for the human rights violations in Somalia, including the abuses committed against journalists and the media community.