Armed police stormed the headquarters of Haatuf Media Network, in Hargeisa city on 2 January and arrested the Editor-in-Chief, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe and the Editor, Ali Abdi Dini for allegedly publishing an article “insulting the President of the republic of Somaliland and his wife.”
Reportedly, about forty police officers in uniforms and in plain clothes, armed with both side arms and AK 47 guns forcefully entered the building and carried out an unsystematic ransacking of the premises, brutally beating up anybody who asked for an explanation or proper documentation, smashing at least two cameras and finally dragging both men from the building. The Somaliland network for civil society organizations a statement, said: “It was deeply disturbed by the growing intimidation, manhandling and incarceration of news people, as well as the blatant destruction and vandalism on media properties now carried out so openly by the Somaliland government security organs without the least regard to the national constitution and other moderating laws of the Republic of Somaliland.” 
