Friday October 23, 2026
Hargeisa (HOL) — Somaliland authorities arrested a Horn Cable TV journalist in Hargeisa on Thursday after he interviewed a politician who declared his intention to run for Somalia’s presidency.
Journalist Abdirahman Egeh was detained days after authorities arrested Abdikadir Mohamed Sharaay, a politician and academic who announced his presidential ambitions during an interview broadcast by Horn Cable TV in mid-October.
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During the interview, Sharaay said he intended to contest Somalia’s presidential election scheduled for May 2027 and argued that Somaliland should pursue international recognition through negotiations with Mogadishu rather than seeking support from Israel and other countries.
His remarks sparked debate on social media, with some Somaliland politicians and commentators calling for action against him.
The circumstances surrounding the arrests remain unclear, and authorities have not publicly established whether the two detentions are directly connected.
Egeh’s detention drew criticism from journalists and media freedom advocates, who questioned whether a reporter should face legal consequences for interviewing someone expressing political views.
Somali human rights defender Ahmedsadik Yusuf Mohamed, who lives in exile in Uganda, condemned the journalist’s reported arrest and raised concerns about freedom of expression in Somaliland.
Sharaay, meanwhile, has been involved in education, development and environmental projects across Somalia.
According to his biographical information, he previously worked as a development adviser to the Jubbaland administration, contributing to education, environmental protection and cooperation between cities.
His other activities have included climate change awareness and urban greening projects in Mogadishu and Kismayo.
The latest detentions come amid growing criticism of Somaliland authorities over the arrest of journalists following interviews involving political criticism.
In August, authorities detained journalist Abdiqani Hussein Abokor, known as Baylood, after his Heegan TV interview with poet Ismail Yusuf Abdi, known as Jiheeye, who criticized President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro over a property dispute.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, maintains its own government and security institutions. Its relations with Mogadishu remain strained over sovereignty, international recognition and the territory’s political status.
Neither Somaliland’s government nor its security agencies had publicly explained the legal grounds for the arrests of Sharaay and Egeh or disclosed whether either man had been formally charged.