The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is gravely concerned for the safety of our colleague Micah Reddy, ICIJ’s Africa coordinator, and local journalist Mohamed Willo Ismael (“Kooki Mahmoud”).
Contact with the pair was lost in Djibouti City on Saturday, September 19, at approximately 1 p.m. local time, and neither has been in contact or reachable since.
Reddy was not reporting on Djiboutian affairs when he went missing. He was staying at the Escale International Hotel in Djibouti City.
ICIJ does not yet know the circumstances behind Reddy’s sudden loss of contact.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said Sunday it is “deeply concerned” by reports that the pair can no longer be reached, and has called on Djiboutian authorities to urgently establish their whereabouts and confirm their safety.
ICIJ echoes that statement without reservation.
We are calling on the government of Djibouti to:
- Immediately clarify Reddy and Ismael’s whereabouts and confirm their well-being;
- Launch a prompt, transparent investigation into their disappearance;
- Keep their families, colleagues and employers fully and promptly informed.
Reddy is both a citizen of the U.K. and South Africa. ICIJ alerted both London and Pretoria shortly after the pair went missing.
Authorities in Djibouti have not responded so far to ICIJ requests for information.
Before joining ICIJ, Reddy was an investigative reporter at South Africa’s amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, known for his reporting on governance, corruption and regional affairs across the continent.
Journalists must be able to travel without fear of disappearance or obstruction.