On September 3, 2025, freelance journalist Sharma’arke Mahdi Abdi was arrested by the presidential guards in the northeastern city of Las-Anod after filming a traffic collision involving a vehicle from the regional president’s convoy and a rickshaw, according to the Somali Journalists Syndicate and Sharma’arke, who spoke to CPJ after his release.
Sharma’arke, who publishes news on his online platform Khaatumo tv, told CPJ that he also filmed presidential guards assaulting the rickshaw driver. In response, several officers threatened him with pistols and arrested him. He was taken to Las-Anod police station, where he was detained for more than six hours without being informed of the reason for his arrest.
Local journalists attempted to secure Sharma’arke’s release but were unsuccessful. Sharma’arke was eventually freed later that evening. Before his release, his footage of the incident was deleted from his phone.
For several months afterwards, Sharma’arke told CPJ, he received threatening phone calls almost every week from Northeastern State officials over reporting that they viewed as critical of the administration. The callers said he was acting against the state and engaging in public incitement and authorities would take action against him if he did not stop.
President Abdiqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali was elected to lead Northeastern State in August 2025, after a July constitutional convention to establish the new state. This followed more than two years of conflict with the breakaway state of Somaliland, which had controlled the territory. In January 2026, the Somali government formally recognized Northeastern State as its sixth federal member state, although Somaliland continues to claim it.
CPJ did not receive responses to requests for comment sent via messaging app to Mohamed Ahmed Ali, director of the Northeastern State presidency, and Khadar Mohamed Farah, police commander of Sool region, which includes Las-Anod.