A searing new report released on World Press Freedom Day has accused Somali authorities of fostering a “culture of repression” against journalists, documenting dozens of violations including arbitrary arrests, censorship, intimidation, and digital surveillance over the past year.
Published by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and supported by international watchdog groups, the 2025 State of the Media Report paints a grim picture of press conditions in Somalia — particularly in Mogadishu and contested federal states.
The report catalogs over 70 incidents involving threats or violence against media professionals, including the shutdown of independent radio stations, harassment of female reporters, and prosecutions under ambiguous “national security” provisions. It also highlights the erosion of editorial independence due to government pressure and financial precarity.
While Somalia’s provisional constitution guarantees press freedom, legal frameworks remain weak, and enforcement often falls to security forces who act with little oversight. The situation is further complicated by conflict dynamics and political rivalries between the federal government and regional administrations.
“Somalia is at a tipping point — either we reform now, or we risk losing the last semblance of media pluralism,” said Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary-General of NUSOJ, at the report’s unveiling in Mogadishu. “Journalists are not enemies of the state. They are its mirror.”
The report calls for the repeal of repressive media laws, independent investigations into attacks on journalists, and the establishment of a federal-level media ombudsman to monitor press freedom violations.
UNESCO’s representative to Somalia issued a parallel statement encouraging Somali authorities to align with international standards and warning that “press freedom is the cornerstone of democratic resilience.”
The release of this report on World Press Freedom Day adds symbolic and strategic weight to Somalia’s growing media rights movement. It also places pressure on the federal government ahead of upcoming electoral and constitutional deadlines, when independent journalism is essential to transparency.
For international donors and human rights advocates, the findings may serve as a litmus test for whether Somalia’s fragile democratic transition includes space for civic expression — or whether the country slides further into information authoritarianism under the guise of state security.
The broader regional trend of shrinking civic space suggests Somalia is not alone — but as the report shows, its media sector remains one of the most endangered on the continent.
