Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD)
Quarter II (Q2) 2025 Human Rights Report
www.cshrds.org
Overview
The second quarter of 2025 has been marked by a deepening human rights crisis in Somalia, exacerbated by political turmoil, ongoing conflict, and worsening humanitarian conditions. The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD) continues to monitor and document violations with a focus on accountability and protection of vulnerable communities. This report outlines key issues observed from April to June 2025.
Arbitrary Detention of Journalists and Political Dissidents
During Q2 2025, there has been a significant increase in arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists¹ and political dissidents². The State security forces, often acting without warrants or due process, have targeted independent media practitioners and opposition figures. Several journalists have been detained for reporting on corruption, political repression, and security operations, often accused vaguely of “undermining national security” or “incitement.” These detentions have been characterized by lack of transparency, denial of legal representation, and reports of mistreatment in custody. National Union of Somali Journalists NUSOJ has unveiled its latest report entitled “Assessing the Criminalisation of Journalism and Freedom of Expression in Somalia: Legal Analysis on the Somali Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Law.” This comprehensive Somali-led and Somali-owned legal study reveals how outdated and oppressive laws continue to be used as instruments of suppression to silence journalists and undermine freedom of expression across Somalia.
Developed with the support of UNESCO through the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) and with technical assistance from the United Nations Human Rights and Protection Group in Somalia and the Office of the Somalia Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the report thoroughly examines key provisions of Somalia’s 1964 Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Law. It uncovers the deliberate misuse of these laws to criminalise independent journalism, deny the right to access information and obstruct public oversight. The findings make clear that these outdated legal frameworks, filled with vague and overly broad language, fall well below the standards of Somalia’s constitutional commitments and violate its obligations under international and African human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The report documents numerous cases in which journalists have been arrested, prosecuted and, in some instances, subjected to trials before military courts on ambiguous, fabricated and politically motivated accusations such as “insulting public officials,” “subversive propaganda,” “criminal defamation” and “propagating terrorist ideas.” These actions not only violate journalists’ fundamental rights, but also point to a serious breakdown in due process, the public’s right to information and the core principles of civilian justice. The use of military courts to try journalists constitutes a grave breach of Somalia’s constitutional guarantees and highlights an escalating legal crisis for media freedom.
At the heart of its recommendations, the report calls for the urgent repeal or substantial reform of the most abusive legal provisions. It urges the Supreme Court of Somalia to undertake a judicial review that firmly establishes that criminal law must not be used to punish journalists for carrying out their professional duties. It further recommends the drafting of new legislation that clearly protects journalistic activity, upholds media freedom and ensures that journalists can operate in a secure and enabling legal environment.
“The criminalisation of journalism in Somalia is not merely a legal matter for the media. It is a deeply rooted human rights crisis that has been allowed to persist through an oppressive legal order,” said Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary General of NUSOJ. “This report is a serious appeal to policymakers, lawmakers, the judiciary, civil society and all sectors of Somali society. Journalists are not criminals. They are ordinary citizens entrusted with extraordinary responsibilities. They are the conscience of the country and the voice of its people. They must be defended, not demonised or thrown into prison. A credible democratic transition in Somalia will remain hollow as long as those who practise free and independent journalism are met with persecution, fear and repression through obnoxious and draconian laws.”
The release of this report represents a significant step forward in NUSOJ’s determined campaign to address the dual safety crisis confronting Somali journalists, where both physical danger and legal persecution continue to intensify. As the leading advocate for media freedom and journalists’ rights in Somalia, NUSOJ remains fully committed to protecting journalists from arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and intimidation. This report offers more than a legal critique. It is a strategic blueprint for meaningful reform to strengthen the rule of law and help establish a democratic and accountable Somali state.
NUSOJ calls upon the Federal Government, the Federal Parliament, the judiciary and international partners to act swiftly and decisively. The union urges them to support the decriminalisation of journalism, legal safeguards for media freedom and participate in inclusive legal reforms that align with international human rights standards, replacing Somalia’s outdated legal structures and provisions with modern, rights-based legislation.
Such crackdowns severely undermine freedom of expression and press freedom, critical pillars for democratic governance and accountability in Somalia.
The President’s Unilateral Move to Initiate “One Man, One Vote”
In a controversial development, the President announced a unilateral push to implement a direct “one man, one vote” electoral system, bypassing the longstanding clan-based power-sharing agreements. This move has sparked intense outcry from opposition parties, civil society groups, and traditional elders who argue that the decision risks destabilizing fragile political balances³.
Opponents contend that the process was neither consultative nor inclusive, further centralizing power in the executive branch and threatening Somalia’s fragile federal system. Protests and political debates have ensued, with concerns over potential violence and political exclusion.
The president’s initiatives are described counter – productive by his opponents and accused him of ruling-out the clan power-sharing by appointing 90% of Ambassadors from his clan.
Establishment of the So-Called Independent Commission of Human Rights
The State has established a new Commission of Human Rights, purportedly to promote and protect human rights nationwide. However, the process by which the Commission was formed has drawn widespread criticism⁴ for lacking independence and transparency. All members were appointed by the President following a highly contested official intake exam, which many allege was designed to select loyalists rather than impartial experts.
Civil society and international observers widely view the Commission as a political instrument intended to legitimize government actions and suppress dissent, rather than serve as a credible body for human rights oversight⁵.
The State’s War on Terror and Civilian Casualties
Military operations against Al-Shabaab and other armed groups intensified in Q2, with the government pursuing a hardline counterterrorism strategy⁶. While aimed at improving security, these operations⁷ have resulted in significant civilian casualties and displacement.
The Coalition has documented numerous cases where airstrikes, ground raids⁸, and checkpoints have led to loss of innocent lives, destruction of homes, and restricted access to humanitarian aid. Reports of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings linked to counterterrorism efforts continue to raise alarm among human rights defenders and international partners.
Humanitarian Situation and Onset of Climate Impact
Somalia’s humanitarian crisis⁹ has worsened with escalating drought conditions, food insecurity, and water shortages linked to climate change. Millions face acute hunger, and displacement has surged due to environmental degradation and conflict.
The limited humanitarian¹⁰ response is hindered by insecurity and funding shortfalls. Vulnerable populations, including pastoralists and internally displaced persons (IDPs), are increasingly exposed to malnutrition, disease outbreaks, and lack of basic services, compounding their vulnerability.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Violence Against Children on the Rise
CSHRD continues to receive alarming reports of escalating gender-based violence and violence against children. Incidents of sexual violence, early and forced marriage, domestic abuse, and exploitation have intensified amid ongoing instability.
Women and girls remain disproportionately affected, facing significant barriers to accessing justice and support services. Violence against children, including recruitment into armed groups and child labor, has also increased, undermining their fundamental rights and safety.
– Case Study of the Month June 2025
Gender Alert | The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD) “A Crime That Shatters the Soul: The Case of Fahima and Farah Mohamoud — A Nation’s Crisis of Perverse Sexual Violence, Silence, and Impunity”
Gender Alert | The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD)
“A Crime That Shatters the Soul: The Case of Fahima and Farah Mohamoud — A Nation’s Crisis of Perverse Sexual Violence, Silence, and Impunity¹¹”
27th June 2025
Farah and Fahima
On a single, monstrous night — June 13, 2025 — in the embattled town of Lascanood, perched on the tense fault line between Somalia and Somaliland, two sisters, Fahima Yasiin Mohamoud (16) and Farah Yasiin Mohamoud (17), endured unimaginable horror. Twenty-five young men, some barely older than their victims, descended upon them like a pack of hyenas: beating, torturing, and gang-raping them in an act of savagery that has ripped through the community’s conscience and laid bare the abyss Somalia’s girls live with every day.
Today, Farah lies in a coma in a fragile hospital bed in Mogadishu. Fahima’s mind has fractured under the weight of a terror no child should ever know. Both cling to life, bodies battered and spirits scarred, their futures hijacked by a violence so perverse it defies belief.
Of the twenty-five perpetrators, twenty-one have been arrested — four remain free. But what good are arrests when the air is so thick with impunity that monsters walk the same streets as their prey? The Mayor of Lascanood held a single press briefing, a cold, bureaucratic acknowledgment that something unspeakable happened. Since then, there has been only silence. The kind of silence that allows rapists to re-offend and girls to disappear behind locked doors, forgotten.
Let us be clear: Fahima and Farah are not anomalies. They are the brutal proof of a crisis that stretches from Mogadishu’s IDP camps to the contested borderlands, a crisis that feeds on conflict, displacement, and the decay of law. In 2024 alone, the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders documented over 1,200 cases of sexual and gender-based violence — an ocean of torment that includes rape, forced marriage, and child abuse. In Somaliland alone, over 750 rapes were reported in 2023; more than half were swept under the carpet by informal settlements, clan elders, or corrupt officials, silencing survivors for the sake of “community stability.”
What stability is this, when women and girls fetch water at dawn wondering if they’ll return alive? When mothers bury daughters in shallow graves because they were raped and no one cared enough to protect them? Somalia’s 3.8 million internally displaced people, the majority of them women and girls, live in makeshift camps where darkness is synonymous with danger — and yet, where is the outrage? Where is the justice?
Lascanood is just one wound on a nation’s broken body. Since early 2023, this town has been torn apart by clashes between Somaliland forces and Dhulbahante militias — a tinderbox where women’s bodies become battlefields. Governance has collapsed. The police are undertrained, underpaid, and under the thumb of clan politics. Survivors who dare speak are pressured back into silence. Those who cannot speak — like Farah, breathing through tubes — are simply left behind.
But this must end. Fahima and Farah’s agony must be the line we refuse to cross again.
This is our call:
To the Government of Somalia and Lascanood Authorities:
Launch an immediate, independent investigation — no more vague statements and empty arrests.
Deliver full, swift justice for every perpetrator, without clan interference or backroom deals.
Protect these sisters — and all survivors — with safe shelters, trauma care, and legal aid.
To Parliament and the President:
Pass and enforce ironclad laws that hold rapists to account.
Ratify and implement CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol.
Make the National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security more than paper — make it a lifeline.
To Somali Communities:
Break the silence. Stand with survivors. Demand that traditional leaders condemn rape unequivocally — not excuse it in the name of “honor.”
To Women-Led Organizations:
Build stronger networks. Raise louder voices. Teach our daughters they deserve protection — and our sons that they will be punished if they harm them.
To the International Community:
Fund the frontline — women-led, community-rooted organizations that shelter survivors, defend them in court, and speak when governments will not.
The terror that was unleashed on Fahima and Farah cannot be undone. But we can decide — right now — whether it will be repeated or whether it will be the last. Their story must be a wake-up call for Somalia to rise from its silence and shield its girls from a lifetime of fear.
If we do not act, we stand complicit.
If we do not speak, we stand condemned.
If we do not protect, we have already lost.
We stand with Fahima. We stand with Farah. And we stand for a Somalia where every girl’s body is her own — safe, sacred, and never again defiled by silence.
Photo Credit: Internet
Conclusion and Recommendations
The second quarter of 2025 reflects a Somalia at a critical crossroads where political authoritarianism, conflict, and humanitarian distress converge to erode human rights gains. The Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders calls on the Somali government and international partners to:
• Immediately halt arbitrary detentions and ensure the protection of journalists and political activists.
• Engage in inclusive political dialogue respecting Somalia’s federal structure and clan sensitivities.
• Reform the Human Rights Commission to guarantee independence, impartiality, and transparency.
• Conduct counterterrorism operations in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.
• Scale up humanitarian assistance with urgent attention to climate-affected communities.
• Prioritize prevention and response mechanisms for GBV and violence against children, including access to justice and protection services.
Only through sustained commitment to human rights, transparency, and rule of law can Somalia achieve lasting peace and development.
Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD)
June 30, 2025
References
1. https://nusoj.org/2025/05/21/new-report-exposes-escalating-legal-repression-of-journalism-and-free-expression-in-somalia/
2. https://liberal-international.org/news-articles/somalia-constitutional-crisis-2025-elections/
3. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-president-and-constitutional-violations-will-the-federal-courts-contain-the-presidents-power-grabs/
4. https://www.radiodalsan.com/opposition-slams-federal-government-over-human-rights-commission-appointments-a-politically-motivated-process/
5. https://hanahr.net/human-rights-on-hold-the-politicized-creation-of-somalias-independent-human-rights-commission/
6. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/6/24/under-trump-us-strikes-on-somalia-have-doubled-since-last-year-why
7. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/un-expert-urges-international-community-not-leave-somalia-behind
8. https://airwars.org/civilian-casualties/?country=somalia&belligerent=us-forces
9. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/somalia/somalia-monthly-humanitarian-update-march-2025
10. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/somalia/somalia-monthly-humanitarian-update-march-2025
11. https://cshrds.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8-gender-alert-the-coalition-of-somali-human-rights-defenders-cshrd-a-crime-that-shatters-the-soul-the-case-of-fahima-and-farah-mohamoud-a-nations-crisis-of/