General update
On 19th November 2024, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as “Irro,” won the presidential election in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. The election had been extended for two years due to funding issues. The Somaliland National Electoral Commission reported that Abdullahi, the Waddani Party leader, secured 63.92% of the vote, defeating incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi of the Kulmiye Party, who gathered 34.81%.
Expression
Journalist detained and prosecuted after return from self-exile
On 16th January 2025, Somaliland police arrested journalist Shafi’i Abdi Mohamed upon his return to Hargeisa from Mogadishu. Mohamed fled Hargeisa nearly a year earlier after receiving threats from Somaliland’s national intelligence agency in response to his critical reporting. While in Mogadishu, he continued publishing investigative content on social media, exposing police corruption and amplifying public complaints against the Somaliland police commander. Authorities brought him before the Maroodi Jeh Court on 18th January 2025, where his detention was extended for a week. On 22nd January, police released Mohamed after clan elders intervened. According to local journalists and his family, his release came with the condition that he stop criticising the police. His arrest raises serious concerns about press freedom in Somaliland, especially as President Abdirahman Irro had campaigned on a promise to protect freedom of expression. With a renewed sense of hope among returning journalists since his election in November 2024, it is critical for authorities to safeguard this environment and ensure that no journalist is punished for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Media outlet shut down
On 12th February 2025, Somaliland’s Ministry of Information, Culture, and National Guidance ordered the closure of privately-owned Universal TV following a news report that questioned the political implications of President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro’s visit to the United Arab Emirates. In the 11th February 2025 broadcast, a journalist raised concerns about Somaliland’s unrecognised status and suggested the visit could be seen as a breach of Somalia’s territorial integrity. In response, the ministry accused Universal TV of violating prior agreements and undermining Somaliland’s nationhood. Authorities ordered all cable providers to remove the station from their listings, banned the use of its logo, and directed local advertisers to cut ties. These actions reflect a continuing broader pattern of media repression and shrinking space for independent journalism in Somaliland.