MOGADISHU, Somalia — As dawn broke Sunday in Mogadishu, with opposition-led protests set in motion, Somalia’s major television stations came under repeated digital attacks targeting their online platforms, disrupting content, visibility and audience access.
Media groups including Shabelle TV, Universal TV and Dalsan TV were hit by mass reporting and false copyright complaints in what they describe as coordinated online campaigns.
Shortly after posting protest videos on Facebook, Shabelle TV lost all video content, while Universal TV went offline following copyright complaints targeting its coverage.
The Somalia Media Women Association (SOMWA) says coordinated online attacks are targeting journalists, independent outlets and digital creators through abuse of platform systems.
SOMWA says organized networks use chat-based coordination to flag content, suppress reporting and reduce the visibility of independent journalism across digital platforms.
Executive Director Maryan Seylac says the digital pressure is taking place alongside persistent intimidation, arrests and harassment of journalists covering sensitive political issues.
More than 10 journalists, including at least five women, have been detained or assaulted while covering political and security developments, according to SOMWA.
Media workers say the combined online and offline pressure is creating a hostile environment for journalism amid Somalia’s politically tense climate.
Editors say content removals and reduced visibility on Meta platforms are disrupting news distribution, particularly for Shabelle TV and other outlets.
Seylac says journalists are experiencing a dangerous shift from physical attacks toward coordinated digital violence aimed at silencing reporting.
“We are witnessing a dangerous shift from physical attacks on journalists to coordinated digital violence designed to silence independent media voices,” she said.
She added that journalists now face pressure on multiple fronts, including harassment, arrests and organized online campaigns targeting their work and credibility.
“Journalists in Somalia are now under pressure both offline and online,” she said, “particularly during this politically sensitive period.”
Seylac says organized reporting networks and digital harassment campaigns are designed to intimidate journalists and weaken independent media voices nationwide.
“These coordinated campaigns are aimed at restricting critical reporting and undermining the role of independent journalism in society,” she said.
SOMWA is calling on Meta and other technology platforms to investigate coordinated abuse of reporting systems and strengthen protections for journalists and media organizations.
It is also urging Somali authorities to end attacks on journalists and uphold constitutional protections for press freedom.
By Abdirisak Mohamud Turyare, Mogadishu, Somalia