General situation
On 28th January 2024, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni, commencing his second term, requested an extension to establish a new government and council of ministers. He directed the existing cabinet to persist in their duties, and emphasised the necessity for thorough stakeholder engagement. Reports attributed the delays partly to a scheduled foreign trip. Deni reaffirmed his commitment to unity during his Garowe inauguration ceremony, announcing intentions to assemble Somali politicians for inclusive dialogue.
On 20th March 2024, Somali women MPs, accompanied by local activists, voiced concerns over the exclusion of a 30% women quota from constitutional amendments. They condemned opposition to the quota on religious grounds and criticised officials for neglecting issues of violence against women while using religion to restrict women’s participation in politics.
On 23rd March 2024, former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed criticised the current President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, for changing the provisional constitution unilaterally and warned against using social media trolls to attack political opponents. Some of the amendments include the establishment of a President-appointed Prime Minister, the introduction of a five-year term for government bodies, and the approval of measures proposed by the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC), such as setting the age of maturity for girls at 15 and criminalising female genital mutilation. Ahmed also highlighted escalating clan-based animosity manipulated to stifle dissent, asserting that these actions pose a severe threat to national stability.
Expression
In January 2024, the Lower House Office of Communications and Media Relations issued a notification via WhatsApp to independent media, instructing them to obtain accreditation letters from the Ministry of Information by 10th January 2024 in order to cover parliamentary proceedings.
In January 2024 police detained Mohamed Abdi Ilig alongside two colleagues, reporter Mohamed Abdi Abdullahi (known as Andar) and cameraman Ilyaas Abdinasir, after he moderated an X (formerly Twitter) discussion on the Somaliland-Ethiopia memorandum of understanding (MOU), hosted by MM Somali TV. On 9th January 2024, the two were released without charge. Subsequently, on 30th January 2024, Ilig appeared before the Maroodi Jeex Regional Court in Hargeisa, where his detention was extended for an additional seven days without legal representation. However, on 20th February 2024, a court in Hargeisa declared Ilig innocent and released him after 43 days of imprisonment.
On 18th January 2024, Journalist Shukri Aden Hussein highlighted the severe risks faced by Somalia's frontline women journalists, including threats from al-Shabab militants. She described instances of intimidation, reporting restrictions, and other challenges encountered by female journalists.
BREAKING: Journalist Jamal Osman, who was arrested in Garowe yesterday, was deported from Puntland today, and he was sent back to Ethiopia where he originally came from. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/Aea3DKH96S
— GAROWE ONLINE (@GaroweOnline) February 19, 2024
On 19th February 2024, authorities at Garowe airport in Puntland deported journalist Jamal Osman, a Somali freelancer for UK media outlets, for undisclosed reasons. Osman was deported back to Ethiopia where he had come from. Despite enquiries, officials have not disclosed details about his case, prompting assumptions that his journalistic work may have led to his arrest.
On 13th March 2024, a security guard fatally shot Journalist Abdikarin Ahmed Bulhan, a reporter for Somali National Television (SNTV), at his workplace in the Abudwak district of Somalia for unknown reasons. Prior to the shooting, Abdikarin had allegedly engaged in an argument with the guard. Ahmed Bulhan's tragic death marks the first journalist killed in Somalia in 2024.
On 14th March 2024, the Council of Ministers appointed members to the Somali Media Council without consulting media organisations. The inclusion of a former senator among the appointees heightened concerns about political interference and cast doubt on the Council's independence, as journalists fear it suggests potential state control over the media.Top of Form
On 1st April 2024, local police threatened and detained Mohamud Abdirashid Abdi, a freelancer for Nairobi-based Radio Ergo, for exposing a police shooting of two tuk tuk drivers over unpaid 'fees' in a Facebook post. His family's access has been denied, and reports suggest he was beaten in custody.