As per the attached letter dated 20 July 2016, reference number 137/2016, the President of the Supreme Court of Somalia Ibrahim Iidle Salebaan has legitimized the election by Somali journalists as transparent. In this journalists’ election Mahir Jama Aden has been elected as president of National Union of Somali Journalist and Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu elected as the General Secretary of the Union.

Reacting to the court’s decision, the elected secretary general of NUSOJ, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu has said "We request that the national and international media institutions and the organizations that support and protect the journalists respect the verdict of Somali journalists, the laws and regulations of our country and the decision of the Supreme Court which is the highest legal authority in Somalia”.

Moalimuu added that Somali journalists are now in a very difficult time and face execution, imprisonment, constant threats and moreover they operate in an insecure environment therefore they need to be protected and assisted.

149 delegates representing journalists from across Somalia were present in the General Assembly. The fast majority of them voted for the new leadership. There was evidence of transparency as the election was being watched live internationally and see through ballot boxes have been used for the vote collection. The election was visibly democratic and so the legitimacy was fully given to the current leadership.

NUSOJ is a democratic Union and is run in accordance with its unique and all-encompassing constitution which requires the union to hold a national conference after every three years attended by delegates representing all its members from various parts of Somalia.

The newly elected leaders of NUSOJ will continue to fight for safeguarding the Freedom of the Press, ending attacks on Journalists and Free Speech; and work for the welfare of all Somali journalists.

We finally would like to thank to the Somali journalists who committed themselves to serve Somalia despite difficulties and the unity they showed in the past several months.

General Secretary of National Union of Somali Journalists