Federal government: ministries and agencies
Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Somalia (Wasaaradda Warfaafinta)
Somalia's federal Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism speaks for the government, oversees the state media (SONNA, Radio Mogadishu and SNTV), licenses and regulates the media under the 2016 Media Law, and looks after culture, heritage and tourism. Abdifatah Qasim Mahmoud became minister in May 2026, replacing Daud Aweis Jama.
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).
- State media: it oversees the news agency SONNA, Radio Mogadishu and Somali National Television. See 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). See 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; SONNA, Riyadh). See Heritage sites.
- Public information campaigns: in 2025 and 2026 it ran public awareness work around the local elections (SONNA).
Who leads it
- Minister: Abdifatah Qasim Mahmoud, a member of parliament, was appointed by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in May 2026 (AllAfrica, May 2026). Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama presided over the handover (Office of the Prime Minister).
- 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; SONNA).
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud gave the ministry a medal of distinction for its work (SONNA).
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). 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). On World Press Freedom Day 2026 the minister congratulated Somali journalists (Ministry of Information).
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.
Sources
- Ministry of Information, weekly briefing, 15 May 2026 · moi.gov.so
- RSF · rsf.org
- SONNA, UNWTO · sonna.so
- SONNA, Riyadh · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- AllAfrica, May 2026 · allafrica.com
- Office of the Prime Minister · opm.gov.so
- Radio Dalsan · radiodalsan.com
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SNBS, Facts and Figures 2024, Table 2.25 · nbs.gov.so
- Ministry of Information · moi.gov.so
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Where this matters
Same era
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- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Every federal government body in Somalia and its budget, 2025 to 2027A directory of every body in Somalia's federal budget: ministries, agencies, courts, commissions and security forces, with 2025 spending, 2026 budget and 2027 proposed budget in US dollars, and a CSV download.
- The Federal Government of Somalia: how it is organisedHow Somalia's federal government is built: its history since 2012, its branches, ministries, agencies and independent offices, how it relates to the member states, its staff and budget, and where to find each part.
- Somalia's federal government: the President, the Prime Minister and the Council of MinistersHow Somalia's federal executive works: the President's powers, the Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers, the list of ministries, and presidents since 1960.
- Ministry of Education of Somalia (Wasaaradda Waxbarashada): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal education ministry does: curriculum, national exams, teachers, school counts and higher education, how it shares the work with the member states, and the separate ministries in Puntland and Somaliland.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Somalia (Wasaaradda Arrimaha Dibadda): embassies and diplomacyWhat Somalia's foreign ministry does, who leads it, where Somalia has embassies, the main issues in 2024 to 2026, and what Somalis abroad can get from an embassy.
- Ministry of Health of Somalia (Wasaaradda Caafimaadka): what it doesWhat Somalia's federal health ministry does: policy, vaccines, medicines, coordination of aid; who leads it; its budget 2025 to 2027; what it reports doing in 2026; and how the work is shared with Puntland, Somaliland and the member states.