MOGADISHU, Somalia 4 December 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) calls on the authorities in Marka, Lower Shabelle, to allow MarkaFM Radio to resume operations and to stop the threats and pressure against its journalists.
On 29 November, authorities in Marka, the capital of the Lower Shabelle region, ordered the closure of MarkaFM, a privately owned radio station. According to the station’s founder and manager, Ahmed Omar, the closure order was issued by the Marka District Commissioner, Osman Muse, after the radio reported on a gunfight between forces loyal to the district commissioner and those aligned with the head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Marka.
The fighting on 29 November reportedly stemmed from a dispute over control of fees collected from the registration of the national ID (NIRA) in the district. Residents in Marka were recently instructed to register for the national ID, and fees were reportedly collected from applicants.
Ahmed Omar, told SJS that this was not the first time the station had come under pressure from local authorities. On 9 November, officials contacted the radio’s staff and demanded the removal of a news report about a bomb explosion inside a restaurant that caused civilian injuries.
Journalists at the station further told SJS that the authorities have repeatedly threatened them. On 29 November, Ahmed Omar told SJS that he was beaten by the Marka district commissioner after being summoned into the commissioner’s office.
MarkaFM is the only privately owned radio station that had been operational in Marka since September this year. The station’s manager told SJS that the outlet has five employees. The radio has remained off-air since 29 November.
Calls by SJS to Marka District Commissioner Osman Muse seeking an explanation went unanswered.
“We strongly condemn the closure of MarkaFM and the ongoing intimidation of its journalists. Silencing the only independent radio station in Marka is a direct attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information. We urge the local authorities to immediately allow the station to resume broadcasting and to stop all forms of threats against its staff,” said SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin.