Articles - Somalia
4 April 2012
Somalia

At least four people were killed and scores were wounded, including seven journalists, when a bomb exploded at Somalia's national theatre at a ceremony to mark the one-year anniversary of Somali National Television, report ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
7 March 2012
Somalia

So far this year, a journalist has been killed each month in Somalia. And with one of the worst impunity records worldwide, it is likely the murderers will walk free, say the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members, which are calling for urgent UN intervention.
1 February 2012
Somalia

The director of the leading private radio and television network in southern Somalia was murdered last week, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members. Hassan Osman Abdi, a senior journalist and director of Shabelle Media Network, was shot dead outside his home in Mogadishu on 28 January, after being followed by five men in a sedan, says NUSOJ.
18 January 2012
Somalia
Somalia's breakaway territory Somaliland has shut down a private television station it accuses of airing anti-government propaganda, and arrested 21 journalists who protested the move, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members.
21 December 2011
Somalia

A leading journalist who had recently reported receiving death threats was shot and killed on 18 December by an armed man in military uniform, reports the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), along with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other international IFEX members.
7 September 2011
Somalia / Malaysia

A Malaysian journalist was killed and another wounded after African Union (AU) forces fired on a Malaysian humanitarian convoy in Mogadishu on 2 September, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
10 August 2011
Somalia
A Radio Simba staff member was killed by a sniper last week in the midst of fighting between insurgents and the Somali government and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces in Mogadishu, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
12 January 2011
Somalia

This week, two journalists for Somalia's leading independent media station Radio Shabelle were beaten by soldiers and officers of Somalia's transitional federal government while covering an innocuous football cup ceremony. The motive may have been a recent Radio Shabelle broadcast that revealed government corruption at the Mogadishu port. Incidents like these seem to be on the rise, says the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) in its year-end report.
1 September 2010
Somalia
A Somali reporter was viciously stabbed to death in the Galkayo district of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, on 31 August, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
25 August 2010
Somalia
Authorities in Puntland, a semi-autonomous area of Somalia, have banned journalists from interviewing rebels who are fighting this regional government. One journalist who broadcast an interview with an Islamist rebel chief has been punished with a six-year prison sentence, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI). In the capital, Mogadishu, clashes continue between the Transitional Federal Government and the Islamist group Al-Shabaab, taking the life of another journalist, report NUSOJ and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
7 July 2010
Somalia
When Somali government forces fired missiles at a press conference being held by militants on 29 June, at least eight journalists were injured, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Independent journalists covering clashes in Mogadishu are being increasingly harassed by the state, and media outlets continue to be targeted by Islamist militias.
12 May 2010
Somalia
Somali media took another heartbreaking blow with the murder of a Radio Mogadishu journalist last week, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Eastern Africa Journalists Association (EAJA) and other IFEX members. Just one day after World Press Freedom Day, on 4 May, gunmen abducted and killed the journalist; he had worked for a station managed by the Transitional Federal Government.
14 April 2010
Somalia
Militants have intensified censorship in Somalia. Al-Shabaab has banned BBC and Voice of America programmes that are re-broadcast through local FM stations in regions under its control, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The militia sees the programming as "Christian propaganda" that violates Islam. And another insurgent group has imposed an edict on radio stations in the capital, Mogadishu, to not air music or songs.
24 February 2010
Somalia

A Somali radio journalist was seized on 21 February by Al-Shabaab militants, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members.
9 December 2009
Somalia

A suicide bomber dressed as a woman blew himself up at a university graduation ceremony in Mogadishu on 3 December, killing three Somali journalists and at least 25 others, reports the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). This tragedy has spurred twenty-six IFEX members to join NUSOJ in a joint appeal for justice.
25 November 2009
Somalia
Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan have been freed after being abducted by gunmen in Somalia and held captive for 15 months, report Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).
14 October 2009
Somalia
Independent media continues to be under threat in southern Somalia as a result of a recent outbreak of internal fighting last week between rival Islamist groups fighting for control of the town of Kismayo and its lucrative port, reports the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).
26 August 2009
Somalia
Somalia's parliament has voted to declare three months of martial law, which could lead to more restrictions on free expression, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) warns.
29 July 2009
Somalia

Journalists, media executives and Somali and international free expression advocates gathered this past weekend to encourage each other and strategise amid the ever-present threats of torture, kidnapping, political intimidation and death that fact finders in Somalia face.
8 July 2009
Somalia
Another journalist has been killed in violence-ridden Mogadishu, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
10 June 2009
Somalia

A radio director was shot in the head five times while strolling through a bustling Mogadishu market with a colleague on 7 June, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
27 May 2009
Somalia

A radio producer was gunned down last week in crossfire in Mogadishu, while another journalist died on 26 May from gunshot wounds suffered while covering fighting in central Somalia in April. They are the third and fourth journalists to be killed in Somalia this year, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
22 April 2009
Somalia

In recognition of Somalia being the most dangerous country in Africa for journalists, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has got their journalists' backs covered - literally. This month, NUSOJ distributed 20 bulletproof jackets and helmets to independent journalists and targeted news organisations in the most volatile areas of the country.
6 February 2009
Somalia
6 February 2009
Somalia
4 February 2009
Somalia
The director of the prominent radio station HornAfrik has been assassinated, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
23 January 2009
Somalia
23 January 2009
Somalia
21 January 2009
Somalia
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members welcomed the release of a Somali journalist after 146 days in captivity, and call for the safe release of two foreign journalists who were kidnapped with him.
9 January 2009
Somalia
9 January 2009
Somalia
7 January 2009
Somalia
A radio reporter from Somalia is the first journalist in 2009 to be killed in the line of duty, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members.
13 June 2008
Somalia
13 June 2008
Somalia
10 June 2008
Somalia
The vice-president of IFEX member the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) was gunned down last week, days after the group had appealed to the UN Security Council to protect journalists in the conflict-ridden country.
18 April 2008
Somalia
18 April 2008
Somalia
15 April 2008
Somalia
Kudos to IFEX member the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), which has won the World Movement for Democracy's (WMD) Democracy Courage Award on behalf of Somali journalists.
29 February 2008
Somalia
29 February 2008
Somalia
26 February 2008
Somalia
Amid a backdrop of daily shootouts between Islamist insurgents, warlords and Ethiopian-backed Somali government forces, 27 IFEX members are demanding that the Somali government protect its journalists and end its own repression of the media.
1 February 2008
Somalia
31 January 2008
Somalia
29 January 2008
Somalia
A journalist on his way to a press conference was killed by a roadside bomb in southern Somalia, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and other IFEX members.
23 November 2007
Somalia
23 November 2007
Somalia
20 November 2007
Somalia
Somalia's government has forced three prominent radio stations off the air in the space of two days over their coverage of the bloody conflict in Mogadishu, report the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and local human rights groups.
26 October 2007
Somalia
26 October 2007
Somalia
23 October 2007
Somalia
After the eighth slaying of a journalist in Somalia this year, on 19 October 2007, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) issued an urgent appeal for international measures towards the Somali government. Bashir Nur Gedi, acting head of Shabelle Media Network - the second biggest in the Horn of Africa - was the third media owner murdered by unidentified gunmen in the capital.
21 September 2007
Somalia
21 September 2007
Somalia
18 September 2007
Somalia
Somalia's independent Shabelle media house said government troops surrounded its Mogadishu office today (18 September) and opened fire, wounding a security guard, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and news reports. The incident occurred days after security forces arrested 19 staff at Shabelle on 15 September.
31 August 2007
Somalia
30 August 2007
Somalia
28 August 2007
Somalia
A young reporter on his way home from a journalism training workshop in Mogadishu was killed in an ambush on 24 August, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and affiliate organisation the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) report. He is the third journalist to be killed in two weeks in Somalia.
17 August 2007
Somalia
17 August 2007
Somalia
14 August 2007
Somalia
Press freedom groups worldwide expressed horror at the "savage" killings of two prominent Somali journalists on 11 August 2007, saying they demonstrate the perilous conditions reporters work in and threaten an independent media for the war-torn country.
25 May 2007
Somalia
25 May 2007
Somalia
22 May 2007
Somalia
Two journalists travelling in convoy with a Somali government delegation were shot dead by unidentified gunmen north of Mogadishu, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF) and their local partner, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).
18 May 2007
Somalia
18 May 2007
Somalia
15 May 2007
Somalia
A radio reporter was killed in the crossfire on 5 May while covering an army raid on an illegal gun market in the Puntland region, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).
30 June 2006
Somalia
30 June 2006
Somalia
28 June 2006
Somalia
One day after militia leaders signed a peace accord with the transitional federal government in Somalia, Swedish photojournalist Martin Adler was shot and killed by an unidentified assailant in the capital, Mogadishu on 23 June 2006, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
10 August 2005
Somalia
10 August 2005
Somalia
5 August 2005
Somalia
Newspaper and broadcasting editors in Somaliland - the breakaway territory bordering Somalia - have developed a code of conduct for media coverage of the upcoming elections, following a workshop held by ARTICLE 19 on 4-7 July 2005.
10 June 2005
Somalia
10 June 2005
Somalia
8 June 2005
Somalia
In Somalia, a country which has had no effective central government since the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991, journalists face violence and lawlessness. On 5 June 2005, radio journalist Duniya Muhyadin Nur was shot and killed while covering a protest in Afgoye, 30 km from the capital, Mogadishu, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). She was the second journalist killed in Somalia this year.
18 February 2005
Somalia
18 February 2005
Somalia
16 February 2005
Somalia
In Somalia, a country just emerging from 14 years of violent conflict and lawlessness, journalists still work under the protection of bodyguards. For BBC journalist Kate Peyton, however, that protection was not enough. On 10 February 2005, unidentified gunmen shot and killed her outside a hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
14 November 2003
Somalia
14 November 2003
Somalia
12 November 2003
Somalia
Breaking news about press freedom in Somalia will now be more accessible to the international community, thanks to efforts by the Somali Journalists Network (SJN).
4 June 2003
Somalia
June 2003
21 January 2003
Somalia
21 January 2003
Somalia
21 January 2003
Somalia
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is drawing attention to press freedom in Somalia this week following news that armed militia acting on the orders of a businessman raided HornAfrik, one of the country's only independent broadcasters, after it aired a news report about a book linking Somali businessmen with terrorism.
8 October 2002
Somalia
8 October 2002
Somalia
8 October 2002
Somalia
The president of Somalia's transitional government, Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, has refused to sign a controversial media law following a strike by the country's journalists that has left all but one media outlet closed, reports IRIN News.
27 November 2001
Somalia
27 November 2001
Somalia
27 November 2001
Somalia
Internet access in Somalia has virtually grinded to a halt, following the closure of the country's only internet company because of US government suspicions that it has links to terrorists, reports the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Somalia Internet Company (SIC), named by the Bush administration as one of 62 organisations that have financial links with Osama bin Laden, has been forced to close operations, denying Internet access to all Somalis and blocking off vital money transfer services.