GAROWE, Puntland – Suweys Gacayte, a reporter with Suweys Media, was arrested in Garowe on 2 July 2026 and transferred to Garowe Central Prison.
Suweys Media is a social-media platform known for conducting vox-pop street interviews that capture the concerns, experiences and opinions of ordinary residents in Garowe.
Following her detention, journalists in Garowe gathered and called for her immediate release. They expressed concern that no charges, court order or clear legal justification for her detention had been publicly disclosed.
In a statement, the Media Association of Puntland (MAP) said it was deeply concerned by the increasing targeting of media professionals. MAP stated that information gathered through its contacts indicated that Gacayte’s detention had not followed proper legal procedures.
The association warned against the misuse of state authority to intimidate journalists and urged Puntland institutions to respect the Constitution, the Puntland Media Law and fundamental rights. It demanded Gacayte’s immediate and unconditional release, or, should formal allegations exist, that she be brought before a competent court with all legally guaranteed rights respected.
MAP also noted that her detention followed the June arrest of journalist Mohamed Abdinasir in Qardho, describing both cases as part of a concerning pattern.
Gacayte had previously faced official pressure. According to media-freedom monitoring records from NUSOJ, she was summoned by the Puntland Attorney General’s Office in September 2025, although she was not detained at that time.
Her latest arrest has renewed concerns about press freedom in Puntland, particularly for young women journalists and independent social-media reporters working outside traditional newsrooms.
Puntland authorities had not issued a detailed public statement explaining the reasons for her arrest at the time of publication.
