MOGADISHU, Somalia, 15 June 2026 – The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) expresses concern over the recent police raids on the homes of two journalists in Las Anod, apparently linked to their perceived involvement in the reporting on the grievances of families whose relatives are being held in Somaliland prisons for over a year following the Las Anod conflict in 2023.
At approximately 2:00 a.m. on 9 June 2026, armed police officers led by Sool Regional Police Commander Khadar Mohamed Farah raided the homes of Mukhtar Abdi Jama, a local reporter and head of a local journalists’ association in Las Anod, and Abdiqani Abdirahman Mohamed, an online journalist based in Las Anod. Both journalists have faced intimidation and threats in recent weeks.
Mukhtar and Abdiqani told SJS that armed police officers forcibly entered their homes terrorizing their families. Abdiqani was taken to a nearby police station, where he was questioned about his alleged involvement in interviews conducted with families of prisoners held in Somaliland jails. After approximately one hour of questioning, he was released and allowed to return home. Mukhtar was not arrested during the raid but described the incident as an act of intimidation.
The raids followed the announcement on 8 June 2026, by local journalist Abdalle Qaalib of the release of a video documentary featuring the testimonies of seven families in Las Anod who claimed that their relatives were among those detained in Somaliland prisons. According to the families, some of the detainees “were captured” during the deadly conflict between SSC-Khaatumo forces and Somaliland forces in 2023, while others were civilians allegedly arrested because of their identity.
On 9 June, Abdalle Qaalib published the documentary on his personal Facebook page, which highlighted complaints from the affected families. The families accused authorities in Las Anod of “neglecting the plight of prisoners” held in Somaliland and called for urgent efforts to “secure their release without condition”.
Following the publication of the documentary, Abdalle Qaalib reported receiving threats from police officers, forcing him into hiding. In a statement published on 10 June, Qaalib said he had taken up the issue because two of his “cousins” were among approximately 108 prisoners reportedly being held in various prisons in Somaliland.
Days later, a Somaliland-based media aired interviews with a group of women in Hargeisa who said they were the wives and family members of prisoners held in Las Anod prison. These families similarly appealed for the release of their loved ones.
Tensions in Las Anod escalated in late 2022 following a series of unresolved assassinations targeting local political and community leaders. Protests against the Somaliland administration were met with a deadly security crackdown triggering direct armed confrontations between Somaliland forces and local SSC-Khaatumo fighters. The conflict was marked by intense fighting and indiscriminate shelling, resulting in hundreds of deaths, injuries, and the displacement of more than 200,000 civilians, as documented by the rights group Amnesty International. By August 2023, SSC-Khaatumo forces had established full control over Las Anod. During and after the conflict, both sides captured individuals whom they accused of participating in hostilities.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has visited detainees held by both parties, estimates that hundreds of prisoners remain in detention. A limited prisoner exchange took place in April 2025.
Media outlets in both Somaliland and Las Anod have repeatedly reported on the appeals of families seeking information about and freedom for their detained relatives in recent months.
“We are extremely concerned that authorities in Las Anod are using intimidation, threats, arbitrary detention, and harassment for carrying out their professional duties of reporting issues of public concern. We remind Las Anod police and the Northeastern State officials that reporting on matters of public interest, including the concerns of families affected by conflict and detention, is a legitimate journalistic activity protected under international standards on freedom of expression,” said SJS Secretary General, Abdalle Mumin.
“SJS calls on police officers in Las Anod and government authorities to end the harassment that is particularly targeting journalists reporting on the issue of prisoners and their families. The local authorities can seek better solutions to address the matter rather than silencing journalists who are conveying what the families are saying,” added Mr. Mumin.