On August 14, 2025, Abukar Mohamed Abukar of the privately owned Risaala Media Corporation was detained by soldiers while covering clashes between Somali government forces and armed men in the capital, Mogadishu, according to the Somali Journalists Syndicate and Abukar, who spoke to CPJ following his release.
Abukar told CPJ that he was covering clashes between security forces and gunmen opposed to the government’s demolition of buildings near Hodan district’s Tarabuun junction as part of an operation to reclaim public land.
While reporting, Abukar was detained by three soldiers from the Military Police unit who blindfolded him and forced him to lie on the ground as the fighting continued, with bullets at times striking near his body. Abukar said that when he complained he was being held in a dangerous situation, the soldiers slapped and kicked him, injuring his lips. He told CPJ that he was in pain for the following three days.
Abukar said the soldiers released him without charge after about three hours, having deleted the footage of the clashes from his phone.
CPJ did not receive responses to its requests for comment sent via messaging app to information minister Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud and police spokesperson Abdifatah Adan Hassan.