# Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Somalia (Wasaaradda Warfaafinta)

> What Somalia's information ministry does: government statements, state media, media law and licensing, culture and tourism, with its leaders and how to reach it.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/ministry-of-information/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## What it does

- **Government voice:** it gives the federal government's weekly briefing and issues its press releases, published on moi.gov.so ([Ministry of Information, weekly briefing, 15 May 2026](https://moi.gov.so/2026/05/15/federal-government-of-somalias-weekly-briefing-mogadishu-friday-15th-may-2026/)).
- **State media:** it oversees the news agency SONNA, Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television. See [State media](/en/institutions/state-media/).
- **Media law:** it applies the 2016 Media Law, under which a Media Council oversees the sector. In March 2024 the minister appointed six of the council's nine members ([RSF](https://rsf.org/en/somalia)). See [Media in Somalia](/en/society/media-in-somalia/).
- **Culture and tourism:** it marks cultural days, supports artists and represents Somalia in tourism bodies. Its minister met UN Tourism (UNWTO) officials and addressed African tourism ministers in Riyadh ([SONNA, UNWTO](https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-information-holds-meeting-with-unwto-officials-in-riyadh/); [SONNA, Riyadh](https://sonna.so/en/minister-of-information-addresses-african-tourism-ministers-meeting-in-riyadh/)). See [Heritage sites](/en/society/heritage-sites/).
- **Public information campaigns:** in 2025 and 2026 it ran public awareness work around the local elections ([SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/information-minister-lauds-the-historic-local-elections-with-media-and-public-play-key-role/)).

## Who leads it

- **Minister:** Abdifatah Qasim Mahmoud, a member of parliament, was appointed by Prime Minister [Hamza Abdi Barre](/en/people/hamza-abdi-barre/) in May 2026 ([AllAfrica, May 2026](https://allafrica.com/stories/202605060597.html)). Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama presided over the handover ([Office of the Prime Minister](https://opm.gov.so/?p=23100)).
- **Previous minister:** Daud Aweis Jama, who held a master's degree in journalism from Kenyatta University, served from 2022 until May 2026 (same sources). In early 2026 he launched a national media Ramadan quiz and chaired a meeting on the ministry's part in the National Transformation Plan ([Radio Dalsan](https://radiodalsan.com/news/301243/minister-daud-aweis-launches-national-media-ramadan-quiz-competition); [SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/information-minister-chairs-a-technical-meeting-on-national-transformation-plan-implementation/)).

President [Hassan Sheikh Mohamud](/en/people/hassan-sheikh-mohamud/) gave the ministry a medal of distinction for its work ([SONNA](https://sonna.so/en/president-hassan-honors-ministry-of-information-culture-and-tourism-with-medal-of-distinction)).

## Press freedom

RSF ranked Somalia 126th of 180 in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, up from 136th in 2025. Journalists are often tried under the 1964 Penal Code ([RSF](https://rsf.org/en/somalia)). The statistics bureau's count of violations against journalists shows detentions as 71.4 percent of recorded cases ([SNBS, Facts and Figures 2024, Table 2.25](https://nbs.gov.so/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Facts-and-figures-2024.pdf)). On World Press Freedom Day 2026 the minister congratulated Somali journalists ([Ministry of Information](https://moi.gov.so/2026/05/03/the-minister-of-information-extends-congratulations-to-somali-journalists-on-world-press-freedom-day/)).

## How to use it

- **Statements:** official statements and weekly briefings are on moi.gov.so and SONNA.
- **Media outlets and journalists:** registration and press accreditation go through the ministry and the Media Council under the 2016 Media Law.

## Its legal basis

The Media Law of 9 January 2016; the 2012 Provisional Constitution, which protects freedom of expression and of the media (Article 18), as amended in 2024 and 2026.

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.