South African journalist Micah Reddy missing in Djibouti, family seeks answers

South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy has gone missing in Djibouti while on a reporting assignment, his family said, adding that they have received no information from authorities about his whereabouts since he was last heard from on Saturday.

Reddy, who serves as Africa editor for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), arrived in the Horn of Africa nation on Thursday and had been in regular contact with relatives and colleagues before communication abruptly stopped, his brother Niall Reddy said.

"We don't have any clear updates on his status," Niall said.

According to the family, Micah's last contact with his brother was around 11 a.m. on Saturday, while his final known communication with colleagues came at about 1 p.m. the same day. Several hours later, messages sent to him via Signal and WhatsApp were no longer being delivered, raising concern among relatives and colleagues.

Micah was staying at the Escale International hotel in Djibouti's capital and was last known to have met his fixer, Kooki Mahmoud, in the hotel lobby, the family said. Relatives added that the hotel had provided little information about his movements after he was last seen.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it was "increasingly alarmed" that more than 24 hours had elapsed since anyone had been able to reach Reddy or Mahmoud.

"CPJ understands their reporting was not focused on Djibouti and urges Djiboutian authorities to establish their whereabouts, credibly confirm their safety, and promptly release them if detained," Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa Director, said in a statement posted on X.

Niall said his brother had not reported any threats before the trip and was not investigating the Djiboutian government during his visit. He added that South African and British officials had sought information from Djibouti's government following the disappearance, but the family had so far received no clarity on his whereabouts and no official comment from authorities.

A senior official in the Djibouti presidency, Naguib Ali Taher, said Micah had not registered for media accreditation in the country.

"We need to check the tourist visa records to see if he came to Djibouti," he said.

A spokesperson for the South African government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.