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October 19, 2024 – Somalia –
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) executed a pre-dawn operation in Mogadishu’s Boondheere district, forcibly abducting investigative journalist Abduqadir Mohamed Nur—also known as “Jakarta”—from his home at around 3 a.m. Security agents confiscated his phone and laptop before transporting him to the notorious Godka Jila’aow detention center, a facility long associated with torture and abuse.
Nur, a senior reporter and editor with Risaala Media Corporation—producers of Radio Risaala and Risaala TV—had been openly critical of Somalia’s security services under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. His abduction represents a brazen attempt to stifle dissent: the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) called it “a brazen attack,” urging the release of both Nur and his seized equipment, and demanding an impartial inquiry into the incident. Risaala Media’s director, Mohamed Abduwahab, echoed this condemnation, denouncing the raid as unlawful.
This case fits a troubling pattern of intimidation. Since mid-2024, at least five journalists linked to Risaala have faced similar repression for covering the activities of security forces—journalists have been detained, equipment confiscated, or outright attacked. In July, for instance, security personnel detained journalist Said Abdullahi Kulmiye in Mogadishu over accusations of exposing extortion at checkpoints. Other staffers have been fired upon by police during field assignments.
Structural challenges compound the crisis. Somalia places 145th out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, with efforts underway to adopt a restrictive Information Law that threatens further curbs on source protection and investigative coverage. Transparency advocates argue it would willingly be used to shield government misconduct from scrutiny.
The abduction of Abduqadir Nur underscores how far Somalia’s security apparatus will go to suppress journalistic oversight. Despite constitutional guarantees, independent journalism remains perilous, with NISA demonstrating readiness to weaponize detention and fear. Unless Somalia’s government advances genuine protections—which include halting arbitrary arrests, scrapping repressive legislation, and founding independent investigations—journalists like Nur will continue to face imprisonment instead of praise for exposing the truth.
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