In what appears to be a dramatic inflection point in Somaliland’s justice system, Commander Ali Geedo Yare, head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), has been dismissed from his post. While no official explanation has been offered, the move follows growing public outrage over the CID’s handling of politically charged cases — including credible allegations of torture, abuse of authority, and targeting of whistleblowers.
At the center of this political storm is veteran journalist and anti-corruption advocate Mohamoud Abdi Jama, widely known as Xuuto. For over two decades, Xuuto has stood at the forefront of independent journalism in Somaliland, consistently exposing corruption, nepotism, and institutional failure.
His most recent investigations have struck particularly close to the nerve centers of power — implicating individuals within the family of Somaliland’s newly elected president. Xuuto reported that government contracts were being awarded along tribal lines, including one awarded to Ms. Samira Gaid, a Somali national and current Regional Security Analyst affiliated with the Federal Government of Somalia. Xuuto raised red flags over her involvement in a highly sensitive project: registering Somaliland’s military personnel — a role that grants access to national security data.
The concern isn’t simply that Ms. Gaid has ties to another government; it is the implication that these contracts and decisions are being orchestrated through presidential family connections rather than through formal, transparent channels.
Xuuto further revealed that unelected individuals closely linked to the president — including one Mr. Gaabuush — have been increasingly involved in state affairs, participating in diplomatic missions and influencing high-stakes decisions without any official mandate. According to Xuuto, some of these foreign trips excluded Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials entirely and were arranged through private channels with personal ties to the president — raising serious concerns about favoritism, misuse of public funds, and erosion of institutional norms.
This type of informal governance — where personal networks override state protocols — is a direct threat to the credibility of Somaliland’s democratic institutions. It’s not merely about who attends official meetings or signs contracts. It’s about who wields real power behind closed doors, and what mechanisms, if any, hold them accountable.
For his courageous reporting, Xuuto was honored on International Whistleblower Day with the Somaliland National Whistleblower Award — a symbolic gesture that today stands in stark contrast to the persecution he now endures.
Following the publication of his reports, including an investigation questioning the transparency of U.S. military leases in Berbera, Xuuto became the target of an arrest warrant issued by Somaliland’s National Security Committee. Fearing for his safety, he fled the country and is now living in exile.
More troubling still, security forces recently confiscated a vehicle belonging to Xuuto’s wife — who was traveling with their children at the time — in what rights groups have called a deeply disturbing act of intimidation and collective punishment.
The response from civil society has been swift. Organizations such as the Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) and the Human Rights Defenders Network have called for:
• The immediate suspension of the arrest warrant against Xuuto
• The return of property confiscated from his family
• An end to the harassment of journalists and whistleblowers
While the dismissal of CID Commander Ali Geedo Yare could signal some degree of internal reckoning, it does little to offset the wider pattern of suppressing dissent. Xuuto’s case forces a painful but necessary question: Can Somaliland truly claim to uphold democratic values while punishing those who dare to expose uncomfortable truths?
This is a defining moment for Somaliland. The treatment of Xuuto — a man who has dedicated his life to truth-telling — will serve as a litmus test for the country’s commitment to justice, press freedom, and accountability.
The world is watching.
By Suleiman Bolaleh | Oakland, California
