FESOJ Calls on Somali Government to Join Malabo Convention to Protect Digital Rights and Press Freedom

Mogadishu, 17 October, 2026 {HMC} The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) calls on the Federal Government of Somalia to take concrete steps towards accession to the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, commonly known as the Malabo Convention, to strengthen digital rights, protect journalists and promote accountability in Somalia’s evolving digital environment.

Adopted by the African Union in 2014, the Malabo Convention provides a continental framework for strengthening cybersecurity, protecting personal data and promoting cooperation against cybercrime. The Convention offers African countries an opportunity to develop stronger legal and institutional safeguards for secure digital communications and the protection of fundamental rights.

Somalia has yet to formally join the Malabo Convention and is therefore not bound by its treaty obligations. FESOJ believes that recognition of the Convention’s objectives must be translated into concrete government action through a formal accession process. Such a step would demonstrate Somalia’s commitment to strengthening cybersecurity, protecting personal data and safeguarding fundamental digital rights, including those of journalists and media institutions.

The increasing use of digital technologies in Somalia has heightened the need for effective safeguards against cybercrime, data breaches, unlawful surveillance and other threats affecting journalists, media institutions and the public. Stronger legal protections are essential to ensuring a secure, accountable and rights-respecting digital environment.

FESOJ stresses that cybersecurity and personal data protection measures must safeguard, rather than undermine, freedom of expression, media independence, privacy and the public’s right to access information. Journalists must be able to investigate matters of public interest, communicate securely with confidential sources and perform their professional duties without fear of unlawful surveillance, intimidation or interference.

FESOJ therefore calls on the Federal Government of Somalia, particularly the relevant ministries and legislative institutions, to initiate a transparent and inclusive accession process, supported by a clear roadmap for the necessary legal and institutional reforms. Journalists’ associations, civil society organizations, media institutions and legal experts must be meaningfully consulted to ensure that the process reflects public interests and complies with Somalia’s constitutional and international human rights obligations.

The Federation further calls for stronger protections against cyberattacks, digital harassment, unauthorized surveillance and the misuse of personal data, alongside independent oversight and effective accountability mechanisms. Any legislation or institutional measures adopted must protect confidential journalistic sources, prevent arbitrary restrictions on legitimate reporting and ensure that cybersecurity powers are not misused against journalists, human rights defenders or civil society organizations.

FESOJ maintains that strengthening Somalia’s digital security must go hand in hand with protecting fundamental freedoms. Effective cybersecurity and data protection frameworks should promote public trust, institutional accountability and an enabling environment for independent journalism, rather than become instruments for restricting freedom of expression.

FESOJ reaffirms its commitment to defending press freedom, promoting journalists’ safety and advancing digital rights in Somalia. The Federation will continue advocating for meaningful government action and inclusive stakeholder engagement to ensure that cybersecurity and personal data protection measures safeguard both journalists and the wider Somali public.