A well-known journalist who reports on Somali arts and literature was arrested at Hargeisa’s international airport on Sunday.
Journalist Omar Ali Hasan (Omar Serbia) originally hails from the Somaliland region but has lived in Mogadishu for several years, where he worked as a reporter.
Photos emerging on social media purport to show Omar Serbia walking with an armed soldier on the airport’s tarmac.
The exact reason for his arrest is still not yet known. Omar Sabriya’s arrest could likely be political retaliation for the journalist’s perceived coziness with Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu. Serbia has been photographed with Somalia’s newly elected president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Omar Serbia was similarly arrested at Hargeisa’s airport in July 2017. He was released after being held for three days.
