On March 4, 2025, Somaliland authorities in the eastern town of Erigavo arrested Qayraan Aadan Abdi for his interview with a resident who said government efforts to integrate local militias into the national army were not in the interests of local clans, the journalist told CPJ after his release and press freedom groups reported. Qayraan has since deleted the interview.
Qayraan, an independent journalist who publishes news regularly on his Facebook page, told CPJ that officers from Somaliland’s Criminal Investigation Department detained him for three days in Erigavo police station and the central prison.
The officers said they were working under the orders of senior authorities, with some citing the defense ministry. Qayraan was released on March 6 without charge. As a condition of his release, Qayraan said he was forced to sign a document pledging not to criticize authorities, which undermined his ability to report independently.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally, except by Israel in December 2025.
CPJ did not receive responses to April 2026 emails to the police and Office of the Attorney General, requesting comment on several cases of journalists detained since January 2025, including Qayraan. Similar emails to the ministry of information and the presidency returned error messages, and calls to those offices were unanswered in early May 2026.