Freedom of expression is not a privilege granted at the discretion of the government, but a constitutional right belonging to Somaliland’s citizens
Hargeisa (SLpost)- A joint statement by senior figures from Somaliland’s ruling Waddani Party, opposition Kulmiye Party and KAAH Party has intensified scrutiny over the government’s handling of press freedom and the detention of journalist Abdiqani Hussein Abokor (Baylood) and poet Ismail Jiheeye.
The three political figures warned that state authority must not be used to silence citizens who voice grievances or journalists who report on them, arguing that such practices could undermine Somaliland’s constitutional protections for freedom of expression and its broader democratic record.
Dr. Essa Keyd Mahmoud, a Waddani member of the House of Representatives; Mohamed Hussein Jama (Rambo), a Kulmiye representative in Parliament; and Abdikarim Mohamed H. Ali, leader of the KAAH Party, who jointly signed and issued the statement, recalled Somaliland’s long struggle to build and consolidate mature democratic institutions and a vibrant civic society.
Their intervention comes as Jiheeye and Baylood have remained in custody at Hargeisa Central Prison for more than two weeks.
The case stems from an interview conducted by Baylood with Jiheeye, during which the poet raised a complaint concerning a land dispute. Jiheeye alleged that President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Irro) had forcibly taken land he owned near the President’s residence in Hargeisa. The allegation is attributed to Jiheeye and does not, in itself, establish that the claim is factually proven.
The three officials argued that Jiheeye was entitled to publicly express his grievance, while Baylood was exercising his professional responsibility by reporting a citizen’s complaint and perspective.
More significantly, they questioned the use of detention in a matter they said should, where appropriate, be addressed through Somaliland’s courts and legal institutions. They warned against allowing political or executive authority to replace established legal mechanisms for resolving civil disputes.
“We are particularly concerned that the power of the state appears to be being used to silence citizens who are raising complaints and the media reporting those complaints,” the officials said.
They called on the authorities to present the two detainees before a competent court if there are specific criminal charges against them and to release them if no lawful basis exists for their continued detention.
The statement also places the case within a wider debate over the direction of Somaliland’s democratic institutions. The officials argued that the country’s reputation for political pluralism, freedom of expression and an independent press could be weakened if journalists, poets or ordinary citizens face detention because their statements are viewed as critical of the government.
“Somaliland has long taken pride in democracy, freedom of expression and an independent press,” they said, warning that decades of democratic institution-building should not be damaged by the detention of individuals whose views may be unwelcome to those in power.
The statement further reminded President Irro and his administration that governmental authority is a public trust rather than a tool to be used against citizens who criticize officials, raise complaints or ask difficult questions.
The intervention is notable because it comes not solely from opposition politicians but also from a representative of the ruling Waddani Party, giving the criticism added political weight. It also underscores growing concern over the balance between government authority, public accountability and constitutional freedoms.
At the heart of the dispute is a broader principle: whether allegations and criticism directed at those in power should be answered through legal and institutional processes, or through restrictions on the individuals who raise or report them.
The statement recalls that freedom of expression is not a privilege granted at the discretion of the government, but a constitutional right belonging to Somaliland’s citizens.
Somalilandpost News
