South African journalist Micah Reddy has been released from custody in Djibouti and is on his way home, according to his family. Reddy, a former amaBhungane journalist, was reported missing in Djibouti along with his local fixer, Kooki Mahmoud. Mahmoud has also been released without being charged. The duo was allegedly held for not having media accreditation to work in the country.
Reddy was held in Djiboutian custody from around 1 pm on Saturday. Despite efforts to establish his whereabouts and condition, no official information was provided until Tuesday, his family said in a statement. His editor at the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Fergus Shiel, confirmed that Reddy was not in Djibouti to report about the country.
According to Peter Fabricius, a Daily Maverick reporter, Djibouti is considered a repressive country for media and has been rated "Not Free" by Freedom House in its 2026 Freedom in the World report, with a score of only 24 out of 100 for political rights and civil liberties. The country has a powerful president, Ismaël Omar Guelleh, who has been in office since 1999 and is not subject to term limits.
The unusual feature of Djibouti is that it hosts major military bases of the US, France, China, Italy, and Japan, and smaller military bases of Germany, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, due to its strategic location at the narrow entrance to the Red Sea. This apparently helps to immunize the government from criticism for its repressive policies.
Reddy's family expressed gratitude to everyone who supported them and worked to secure his release, particularly the South African and UK governments, diplomatic missions, and multilateral bodies. They also thanked colleagues in the media for their support over the last three days and requested that their privacy be respected upon Reddy's return.
Angela Quintal, regional director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), welcomed Reddy's release but noted that four days in secretive intelligence custody is unacceptable treatment of an investigative journalist. Quintal added that serious questions remain about their detention and Djibouti's opaque accreditation process.
Reddy is expected to return home by Tuesday evening, and his family has thanked his legal representatives, although it is unclear who secured his release. Reddy had previously worked with amaBhungane from 2017 to 2023 and had also worked with the Yemen Times.
Key points
- Djibouti is considered a repressive country for media, rated "Not Free" by Freedom House.
- Reddy was detained for allegedly not having media accreditation to work in Djibouti.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed Reddy's release but raised concerns about his detention and Djibouti's accreditation process.
