Somaliland journalist detained after interviewing Somalia presidential hopeful

Journalist Abdirahman Egeh was arrested in Hargeisa on Thursday, days after Somaliland authorities detained Abdikadir Mohamed Sharaay, a politician and academic who announced his presidential ambitions during an interview broadcast by the channel in mid-October.

During the interview, Mr Sharaay said he intended to contest Somalia’s presidential election, scheduled for May 2027. He also argued that Somaliland should seek international recognition through negotiations with Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu, rather than relying on support from Israel and other countries.

His comments prompted debate on social media, with some Somaliland politicians and commentators calling for action against him.

The circumstances surrounding the two arrests remain unclear. Authorities have not publicly established whether Mr Egeh’s detention was directly linked to the interview or to Mr Sharaay’s subsequent arrest.

The detention of Mr Egeh has drawn criticism from journalists and media freedom advocates, who have questioned whether a reporter should face legal consequences for interviewing a person expressing political views.

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 an interview on Heegan TV with poet Ismail Yusuf Abdi, known as Jiheeye. During that interview, Mr Jiheeye criticised Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro over a property dispute.

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since maintained its own government and security institutions. It has long sought international recognition as an independent state, while its relationship with Mogadishu remains strained over sovereignty, recognition and the territory’s political status.

Neither Somaliland’s government nor its security agencies has publicly explained the legal grounds for the arrests of Mr Sharaay and Mr Egeh. It is also unclear whether either man has been formally charged.