On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, 15 September 2025, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) warned that Somalia’s democratic transition is at serious risk unless relentless assaults on journalists and media freedom are confronted. This year alone, NUSOJ has documented 59 instances of attacks on media freedom across the country. NUSOJ repeatedly made it clear that these realities are direct threats to Somalia’s democratic future. People across the country, yearning for a democratic transition, cannot succeed if the media remains under siege. “We cannot speak of democracy while journalists are hunted, hauled to court and silenced,” said Omar Faruk Osman, NUSOJ Secretary General.