MOGADISHU, Somalia, 5 July 2025 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the physical assault and unlawful seizure of Mogadishu-based woman journalist Shukri Caabi Abdi on Thursday, 3 July 2025, by individuals believed to be affiliated with Somalia’s disputed electoral commission.
This appalling act, which involved forcibly registering her in a controversial voter registration exercise, is a grave violation of her personal liberty and press freedom.
On Thursday morning, shortly after 8:00 a.m., Shukri was on her way to her news station when the tuk-tuk taxi she was riding in was stopped by several armed men from the national intelligence between Buulo Xuubey area and Ceel Qalaw in Wadajir district, Mogadishu.
The men questioned her about whether she had registered as a voter. Shukri clearly stated that she had not and had no intention of doing so.
Despite her refusal, the men forcibly took her to a nearby school building where she witnessed several other pedestrians also taken off the streets against their will.
“Initially, they didn’t know I was a journalist,” Shukri told SJS. “But once they saw my journalist ID card, they began harassing me. They confiscated my ID card—which is still missing—and also took my phone.”
She was held in the building for several hours, during which her personal details, including her photo and full name, were forcibly taken without her consent.
She was later released but could not make it to work that day and returned home.
Last week, the head of the disputed electoral commission, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, stated that no one would be forced to register; however, incidents like the case of Shukri continue to occur, with many similar violations against ordinary citizens going unreported.
The abduction of Shukri Caabi is one among dozens of reported cases in Mogadishu where armed officers from the police or the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) have been accused of forcibly taking citizens—especially women and youth—from the streets and compelling them to register as voters without consent. Media houses trying to report these incidents are also targeted. This constitutes a serious violation of civic autonomy and human rights.
- On 12 June 2025, NISA agents raided the private studio of Himilo Somali TV in Mogadishu to remove an interview critical of the disputed federal electoral commission. The interview featured a young man who said he was abducted by NISA and forcibly registered. He later went public to denounce the incident.
- On 5 May 2025, NISA agents raided the home and studio of journalists Bashir Ali Shire and Mohamed Omar Baakaay in Mogadishu’s Shibis district. The journalists had reported on the forced voter registration of vulnerable women and youth. The raid came a day after Farah Adani, the commissioner of Karaan district, publicly incited violence against journalists, calling on supporters to “break their bones” and “bring them in handcuffs.” Adani, now a member of the president’s newly formed party, later issued a public apology.
- On 28 May 2025, Turkish-trained Haramcad forces assaulted three journalists in Kaxda district—Nuh Farah Mahad, Mohamed Abdukadir, and Mohamed Abdi Hassan—who were covering a protest by local elders excluded from the registration. The journalists were detained, threatened, and nearly shot by gunmen, according to their accounts. That same day, RTN TV reported door-to-door raids in Kaxda, forcing residents to register.
- On 26 May, journalists covering alleged abductions of day laborers in Kaxda were attacked. Reports revealed that porters and construction workers were lured with false promises of jobs, then detained and registered by force.
- Similar incidents occurred at Bakara Market, where journalists documenting forced registration were harassed and their equipment confiscated. Shopkeepers and vendors told media outlets that they were abducted and compelled to register.
- Throughout June 2025, media reports continued to highlight increasing incidents of forced voter registration, targeting students, teachers, and everyday pedestrians in areas such as Bakara Market, Hodan district, and Industrial Road, which connects to Dayniile, Yaaqshiid, and Huriwa.
Forcing any citizen—especially a journalist, whose duty is to hold those in power accountable—into political participation against their will is a serious violation of democratic norms, civic freedom, and press independence. Such actions amount to political violence, and when directed at women, may also constitute gender-based violence and assault.
“We strongly condemn the seizure of journalist Shukri Caabi Abdi on Thursday in Mogadishu by individuals believed to be associated with Somalia’s disputed electoral commission,” said SJS Secretary-General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin. “Shukri’s journalist ID card must be returned securely and immediately.”
“We call on Somali authorities to urgently investigate this incident, ensure Shukri’s safety, and hold those responsible accountable. Attempts to silence or intimidate the press through threats, abduction, or violence are unacceptable and must be confronted with justice,” added Mr. Mumin.