Woman journalist seized by NISA, forced into voter registration in Mogadishu

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the physical assault and unlawful seizure of Mogadishu-based woman journalist Shukri Caabi Abdi on Thursday, 3 July 2025, by individuals believed to be affiliated with Somalia's disputed electoral commission. This appalling act, which involved forcibly registering her in a controversial voter registration exercise, is a grave violation of her personal liberty and press freedom. On Thursday morning, shortly after 8:00 a.m., Shukri was on her way to her news station when the tuk-tuk taxi she was riding in was stopped by several armed men from the national intelligence between Buulo Xuubey area and Ceel Qalaw in Wadajir district, Mogadishu. The men questioned her about whether she had registered as a voter. Shukri clearly stated that she had not and had no intention of doing so. Despite her refusal, the men forcibly took her to a nearby school building where she witnessed several other pedestrians also taken off the streets against their will. "Initially, they didn’t know I was a journalist,” Shukri told SJS. "But once they saw my journalist ID card, they began harassing me. They confiscated my ID card—which is still missing—and also took my phone.” She was held in the building for several hours, during which her personal details, including her photo and full name, were forcibly taken without her consent. She was later released but could not make it to work that day and returned home. Last week, the head of the disputed electoral commission, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, stated that no one would be forced to register; however, incidents like the case of Shukri continue to occur, with many similar violations against ordinary citizens going unreported. The abduction of Shukri Caabi is one among dozens of reported cases in Mogadishu where armed officers from the police or the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) have been accused of forcibly taking citizens—especially women and youth—from the streets and compelling them to register as voters without consent. Media houses trying to report these incidents are also targeted. This constitutes a serious violation of civic autonomy and human rights.