Somali National Television (SNTV)

Somali National Television (SNTV) (Telefishinka Qaranka Soomaaliyeed, abbreviated TQS) is the flagship federal state broadcaster of Somalia, headquartered on Jamaal Abdinasir Street in Mogadishu and presented by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MoICT) as its “Somali National Television department.” SNTV traces its origins to Somalia’s first regular television service, launched in Mogadishu in August 1983 during the Somali Democratic Republic period. Historical media references describe the early service as Telefishanka J.D. Soomaaliya and report foreign funding and limited daily broadcast hours, but the current federal state broadcaster was re-launched on 4 April 2011 after a two-decade civil-war hiatus. SNTV today is described in Xinhua’s January 2026 reporting as broadcasting around the clock for audiences at home and abroad via terrestrial and satellite platforms.

The 2025–26 period saw substantial infrastructure modernisation. On 9 February 2025, SNTV inaugurated new studios financed and coordinated by the CIMIC cell of the Italian National Support Element / EUTM Somalia (the EU Training Mission’s Civil-Military Cooperation programme). On 18 July 2025, SNTV’s satellite reception was significantly upgraded with the opening of Somalia’s first Media Satellite Teleport in over three decades, enabling direct uplink of high-definition content to orbiting satellites. On 26 October 2025, Türkiye’s Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provided SNTV and other Somali state media with a suite of advanced cameras and live broadcast systems, aimed at bolstering public communication and institutional outreach.

Media assets

Television: SNTV, SNTV Daljir

Ownership and governance

SNTV is owned by the Federal Government of Somalia and is presented by MoICT as the “Somali National Television department.” The ministry describes SNTV as a platform for television programming, public information, government messages, and “shaping the narrative.” Mohamedkafi Abukar Mohamed was appointed Director of SNTV by then-Minister Daud Aweis Jama on 20 May 2023 and was still publicly identified as SNTV director in Xinhua’s January 2026 reporting. He had previously served as Director of Radio Mogadishu and is described in the official appointment statement as having over 15 years of experience across radio, television, and digital multimedia in Somalia’s media landscape.

The supervisory ministry was historically led by Cabinet Minister Daud Aweis Jama, who held the Information, Culture and Tourism portfolio under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration. On 6 May 2026, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre appointed Abdifitah Qasim Mohamud as the new Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, replacing Daud Aweis. Abdifitah previously served as Deputy Minister of Defense (until his dismissal on 21 May 2025) and is a member of the House of the People in the Federal Parliament. The appointment was made in consultation with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud; no reason for the change was officially disclosed. On 29 April 2025, then-Minister Aweis met with UNESCO Country Representative Louise Haxthausen to advance an ambitious project to digitise and preserve more than 70 years of historical audio archives from Radio Mogadishu, an initiative framed as essential to safeguarding Somalia’s media heritage and fostering national identity.

There is no independent board, editorial council, or autonomous statute that mediates the relationship between SNTV and the executive branch. Senior appointments are made directly by the Minister of Information, and SNTV’s editorial direction reflects the priorities of the FGS at any given time.

Source of funding and budget

Detailed standalone SNTV budget disclosures were not identified in the public sources reviewed. SNTV’s core operations appear to be supported through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, with the broadcaster described in the 2025 SMM profile as entirely reliant on state funding for its core operations. Major in-kind and capacity-building support has come from international partners. Verified recent support includes:

• Italian CIMIC / EUTM Somalia — financed and coordinated the 9 February 2025 new studios renovation, rehabilitation, and equipment supply project
• Türkiye (TIKA) — advanced cameras and live-broadcast equipment delivered 26 October 2025
• VIKES Media Development (Finland) — supported training, children’s programming, and replacement of critical equipment in 2021. A separate Kaab TV investigation in 2023 reported that some Finnish-donated equipment had been misappropriated by senior Ministry officials, including a then–SNTV director; this allegation has not been independently corroborated, and is included here with attribution rather than as established fact
• UNESCO — discussions on 29 April 2025 between then-Minister Aweis and UNESCO’s Country Representative on digitising Radio Mogadishu’s archives

The broader macroeconomic context, constrained federal revenue, ongoing conflict with Al-Shabaab, and a contested constitutional environment, continues to make donor support disproportionately important for SNTV’s operational capacity.

Editorial independence

SNTV does not show meaningful institutional separation from the executive. The broadcaster is formally situated within the Ministry of Information, and the ministry itself describes it as a vehicle for government messages and narrative-shaping. Local journalists and international observers reporting between 2023 and 2025 have described consistent government dictation of newsroom decisions, including story selection and framing.

The 2024–2026 period was politically defining. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) was replaced by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) on 1 January 2025. The Federal Government’s offensive against Al-Shabaab continued through 2025–2026, and SNTV broadcast live coverage of operations in central and southern Somalia, including the reported recapture/liberation of Awdheegle in Lower Shabelle in October 2025m to amplify federal control narratives and counter insurgent propaganda.

The constitutional context shifted further in early 2026. In March 2026, parliament approved constitutional amendments that Reuters reported could extend the president’s term and delay elections, though analysts described the legal effect as disputed. The FGS has treated the amendments as extending mandates, while opposition figures and some Federal Member States, notably Puntland and Jubaland, have rejected the legitimacy and interpretation of the changes. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s original four-year tenure under the 2012 Provisional Constitution was scheduled to expire on 15 May 2026. The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) report that the contested-legitimacy environment has intensified security-force pressure on journalists. On 15 April 2026, the Banadir Regional Police Commander warned journalists against discussing the “end of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term” or criticising the constitutional amendments, threatening to label violators as “criminals.” SNTV’s coverage during this period has reflected the FGS official narrative.

The press freedom environment in Somalia remains highly constrained. Per Reporters Without Borders 2026 reporting, Somalia ranks 126th of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, and RSF describes Somalia as one of Africa’s most dangerous countries for journalists, with more than 50 media professionals killed since 2010 per the National Union of Somali Journalists. The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) documented at least 18 violations against journalists since January 2026, including the killing of journalist Abshir Khalif Shide Omar (also reported as Abshir Khalif Shidane) in Kismayo on 2 March 2026 by a Jubaland police officer; multiple arbitrary arrests, abductions, equipment confiscations; and a 16 April 2026 ban by the South West State Minister of Security on reporting insecurity, terrorist attacks, clan conflicts, and criticism of federal and regional officials. On 9 May 2026, The Guardian reported that Mohamed Bulbul and two colleagues were detained and beaten by Somali police, amid wider arrests and pressure on journalists.

AI and digital policy

SNTV operates digital distribution channels via moi.gov.so/ova_dep/sntv/, Facebook (~2.36 million followers), YouTube, X/Twitter, and Telegram. No public SNTV-specific policy on AI-generated content, synthetic-media disclosure, or content provenance was identified in the publicly available record. At the national level, Somalia maintains ICT and digital-policy frameworks, has launched consultations on a Digital Transformation Strategy 2025–2030, and has a government-affiliated Somali National AI Center (SNAIC) founded in October 2024. The absence of a visible SNTV policy is notable given SJS reporting in December 2025 on AI-generated deepfake audio circulating in Somalia and being difficult for journalists to detect.

May 2026