Wave of violence and intimidation targeted journalists covering Mogadishu protests

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the wave of violence, arbitrary detention and intimidation perpetrated by the Somali police force against journalists covering protests in Mogadishu. These protests followed the closure of the largest market in the Somali capital due to "new taxes and fees”, which prompted the business community to go on strike for the second day.

On Sunday, 18 August, Somali police at Mogadishu’s Hawlwadaag police station briefly detained seven local journalists who were at Bakaro market, where local businesses had closed down in a strike against new taxes and other fees imposed on them. The journalists, who were there to report on the business closures, were told that police officers would give a press conference and were escorted to the police station, where they were held upon arrival.

Three of the detained journalists, all from local media outlets, told SJS that they were kept in the commander’s office for two hours. After complaining, they were released but were warned to stay away from reporting on the market closures and the business community strike.

On 18 August, policedetainedtwo journalists working for the online news platform Hirasho TV: Mohamed Abdullahi Isse (cameraman) and Farhan Baraale (reporter), while they were conducting interviews at Bakaro market on the aftermath of the business closures. The journalists told SJS that their equipment was confiscated and held at the Hawlwadaag police station. They were later freed without charges, and their equipment was returned.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Abdukadir Mohamed Abdulle, a reporter for Voice of America (VOA), and cameraman Ayuub Mohamed were briefly detained at Bakaro market while conducting interviews following the business closures. Their equipment and phones were confiscated, disrupting their reporting activity, but were later returned.

On Monday, 19 August, two journalists working for Mustaqbal Media, Abdirizak Abdullahi Aden and Abdirahman Abdukadir Mohamed, werestopped and detainedat the Hawlwadaag police station while reporting on a street protest by the business community at Bakaro market. Their equipment was confiscated, but they were later released without charges.

On Monday midday, two female reporters, Nimo Muhidin from Somali Cable TV and Safa Osman who freelances for Dalsan TV, reported being harassed and threatened by police while recording a piece to camera at Bakaro market, where business owners were protesting on the second day of the market’s closure. Nimo said "a police officer cocked his pistol” and put it her head forcing her to leave while Safa said an officer threatened to beat her if she did not leave the area.

Similarly, journalist Abdirahman Nur Mohamed from Himilo TV said that he and his cameraman were chased away from Bakaro market when they attempted to cover the protest. Later, while recording a piece to camera on Maka al Mukarama Road, far away from the initial site, a police officer named Isaq Mohamed Isse, known as Faratol, approached in a police vehicle and began interfering with the journalist’s reporting. In avideo recordingmade available to SJS, the officer can be clearly heard questioning the journalist about his report, using the word "incitement” in reference to the ongoing protests in the city.

"SJS strongly condemns the arbitrary detention, acts of intimidation and violence directed at journalists in Mogadishu in the past few days. This is utterly unacceptable. Such actions undermine the fundamental principles of press freedom and cannot be tolerated in any society,” said the Secretary General of SJS, Abdalle Mumin.