Overview
- Micah Reddy, an ICIJ Africa coordinator, was released by Djiboutian authorities on Tuesday and deported from the country and is en route to Johannesburg.
- Reddy and his local fixer, Mohamed Willo Ismael (known as Kooki Mahmoud), went silent around 1pm on Saturday, September 19, and were held in custody for about four days before being freed.
- Djibouti’s interior minister told press groups the detention was linked to an alleged failure to obtain media accreditation, while authorities did not publicly confirm Reddy’s whereabouts during his custody.
- Family, the ICIJ, the Committee to Protect Journalists and South African, British and U.S. diplomatic channels pressed for information and helped secure his release, and the family has asked for privacy as inquiries continue.
- Press freedom groups warned the episode highlights Djibouti’s opaque accreditation rules and secret detention practices, noting the country’s poor press freedom record and the role of security and foreign military bases in limiting scrutiny.