Under Siege: Somali Women Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Targeted Amid Escalating Reprisals

Under Siege: Somali Women Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Targeted Amid Escalating Reprisals

Published by the African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD)
In collaboration with the Somalia National Civil Society Forum (SOCSOF)
Comoros – August 2025

Introduction

Somalia’s fragile democratic transition is being undermined by a wave of systematic attacks against women advocating for rights, inclusion, and political participation. In recent months, Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) and women journalists have endured arbitrary arrests, militia violence, sexual violence threats, and death threats, all aimed at silencing their voices ahead of Somalia’s 2026 elections.

This report, published by the African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) and based on documentation by the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD), a women-led national human rights organization, brings to light two emblematic incidents in Beledweyne and Kismayo, as well as the unlawful arrest of journalist Anisa Ahmed in Mogadishu. Together, these cases illustrate a coordinated pattern of repression by both state and non-state actors.

Case Study I: Beledweyne – The Breach of a Safe Shelter

In June 2025, a shelter for WHRDs in Beledweyne (Hirshabelle State)—once a lifeline for women escaping violence—was violently compromised.

• Local militias stormed the shelter, forcing residents and staff to flee.

• The defenders inside had been targeted for campaigns against female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriages.

• Several women received explicit threats of rape and execution if they continued their work.

• Instead of offering protection, local authorities accused WHRDs of “undermining culture” and “promoting foreign values.”

• And their campaign and advocacy for women political participation as contest unleashes for the upcoming elections in early 2026

For many WHRDs, the shelter had been their last refuge. Its breach has left women defenders with no safe space in Hirshabelle. “When even our shelters are attacked, what hope is left for women defenders?” – WHRD survivor, now in hiding.

Case Study II: Kismayo – Death Threats and Criminalization

In July 2025, WHRDs in Kismayo, Jubaland State, faced intensifying repression as they mobilized for women’s participation in the 2026 elections.

• Prominent WHRDs received anonymous threats warning them they would be assassinated.

• Online smear campaigns painted women activists as “Western agents” and “anti-Islam.”

• At least three WHRDs were summoned by local authorities, threatened with prosecution under vague charges of “disturbing public order.”

• Extremist-linked propaganda videos openly incited violence against feminist activists in Jubaland.

Despite the threats, WHRDs continue organizing discreetly, but at the cost of their safety, privacy, and health. “The threats are not only from Al-Shabaab. Clan leaders and state-linked actors also want us silenced,” said a WHRD from Kismayo.

The other alarming incident occurred when the – Facebook account and WhatsApp were compromised through a targeted cyber attack. Asha Siyad (WHRD, a prominent civil society activist and advocate for women´s political participation.

The incident reportedly occurred in late August, 2025

Translation of the post. : ´´

Important Notice
Dear friends and brothers on social media, I would like to inform you about an important situation.
Mama Asha Siyad’s account was recently hacked by mafia groups. Within a short period of time, they were posing as Mama Asha, sending many messages to different people to extort money from them. There are people who have lost a lot of money in less than 24 hours.

Intensive efforts are underway to restore the accounts, but until an official solution is found, we ask you to be wary of messages and requests for money sent to you in the name of Mama Asha Siyad,
Thank you. Please beware of fraud and relatives being made on behalf of other people.´´

Journalism Under Fire: The Arrest of Anisa Ahmed.

Female Journalist (Anisa) – SJS

On 28 August 2025, journalist Anisa Ahmed, who works for Dalbile TV, was detained and assaulted by Mogadishu police while reporting on the plight of WHRDs in Beledweyne and Kismayo.

Though she was released without charge, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemned her arrest as unlawful and a blatant attempt to suppress media freedom.

Her detention is not an isolated act but part of a broader pattern of silencing those who expose women’s struggles. By targeting both WHRDs and the journalists covering them, authorities ensure that violence remains invisible.

Patterns of Repression

Documentation by CSHRD reveals a consistent pattern:

• Attacks on safe shelters undermine women’s ability to find refuge. 
• Sexual violence threats and death threats are used to enforce silence.
• Arbitrary detention and legal harassment criminalize WHRDs’ advocacy.
• Journalists covering WHRDs’ cases are punished, creating a climate of fear.                                                                                                                                           # These tactics work together to systematically erase women’s participation in civic and political life.

The 2026 Elections Context

Somalia’s upcoming 2026 elections have heightened the stakes. WHRDs and feminist networks have been demanding greater representation of women in politics, challenging entrenched clan-based power structures.

Their demands for reform have provoked backlash not only from extremist groups like Al-Shabaab but also from state-linked actors, militias, and conservative leaders who view women’s inclusion as a threat to their authority.  The targeting of WHRDs and women journalists is thus a calculated strategy to suppress women’s voices before the elections.

Call to Action: The African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD), in collaboration with the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders (CSHRD), calls for urgent international and regional action:

• Emergency protection and relocation for WHRDs at imminent risk in Beledweyne and Kismayo.

• Strong diplomatic pressure on Somali authorities to stop arbitrary arrests of WHRDs and women journalists.

• Independent investigations into militia and state-linked attacks against women defenders.

• Support for safe spaces and psychosocial care for WHRDs displaced after the Beledweyne shelter breach.

• International monitoring of the electoral environment, with a gender-sensitive lens. “This is not only about defending individual women. It is about defending Somalia’s democratic future. If women’s voices are silenced today, Somalia’s tomorrow will remain hostage to violence and exclusion.” – African Academy of Diplomacy (AAD)

Conclusion

From Beledweyne’s stormed shelter to Kismayo’s death threats to Anisa Ahmed’s unlawful detention in Mogadishu, Somali women defenders and journalists are under siege. Their persecution is neither random nor isolated—it is part of a deliberate strategy to exclude women from political and civic space.

The international community, regional actors, and Somali authorities must act urgently. Without the protection of WHRDs and women journalists, the promise of Somalia’s democratic transition will collapse.

For Press Inquiries, please contact CSHRD: info@cshrds.org