Event Summary
On 20 October 2025, the Somaliland Police Force raided the premises of Consilient Limited Company, a research organization operating in Somaliland, and arrested its management and staff. The police stated that the arrests were based on allegations that Consilient was conducting activities against the sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland. However, following an internal investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the allegations were found to be false and based on fabricated online propaganda.
On 21 October 2025, the Police Department issued an official clarification confirming that the accusations were baseless and that Consilient was not engaged in any anti-state activities. The authorities also launched an investigation to identify individuals responsible for spreading the false information on social media.
The incident caused temporary disruption to Consilient operations and raised concerns within the civil society community regarding operational security and government suspicion toward NGOs. While the police later clarified the situation, no official apology or statement confirming the release of detained staff has been issued as of the reporting date. This event highlights the growing challenge of misinformation and its potential impact on civic operations, freedom of association, and trust between authorities and civil society in Somaliland.