Somali National News Agency (SONNA)
Source Passport
SO-M-00001-2
Issued and maintained by MJRC
- Legal name
- Somali National News Agency (SONNA)
- Country
- Somalia
- Type
- News agency
- Founded
- 1964
- Editor-in-chief
- Ismail Mukhtar Omar (Director-General)
- Claim
- Not claimed by the organisation
- Last verified
- Not yet
0 of 6 layers verified
Transparency
Partial
3 of 6 key disclosures on record, 0 of them checked by our researchers.
- Legal name and registration number not disclosed
- Owners with influence on record, not yet checked
- Beneficial owners (the people behind the companies) not applicable
- State or public-body ownership stated on record, not yet checked
- State advertising or revenue mix not disclosed
- Public contact address not disclosed
- Official websites and accounts on record, not yet checked
- State-owned
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Needs update: this passport has not been fully verified yet.
Who is it?
Origin
Not yet verified
- Brand names Pending check
- SONNA
- Somali National News Agency
- Company registration number
- Not disclosed
- Registered address
- Not disclosed
- Public contact email
- Not disclosed
2 sources
- Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism, Federal Government of Somalia, department page 'Somali National News Agency (SONNA)', read 2026-10-20 (SONNA listed among the Ministry's departments; mandate as 'primary source of news for the nation')
- State Media Monitor, 'Somali News Agency (SONNA)', 07.05.2026 (updated 10.05.2026), read 2026-10-20 (secondary: federal government-run state news agency, 'one of the main pillars' of MoICT; founded 5 Jan 1964, relaunched 2011; Director-General Ismail Mukhtar Omar identified in role through at least Feb-Mar 2026; no standalone budget disclosed; website sonna.so; X @SONNALIVE; Somali, Arabic, English)
Who stands behind it?
Control
Not yet verified
- Owners with influence Pending check
Owner Holding Owner type Federal Government of Somalia (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism) Direct State or public body - Beneficial owners
- Not disclosed
- State or public-body ownership Pending check
- Fully state-owned
- Parent group Pending check
- Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Federal Government of Somalia (SONNA is one of its departments)
3 sources
- Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism, Federal Government of Somalia, department page 'Somali National News Agency (SONNA)', read 2026-10-20 (SONNA listed among the Ministry's departments; mandate as 'primary source of news for the nation')
- Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism (moi.gov.so), SONNA department page, read 2026-10-20 (mandate: gathers, verifies and disseminates news, publishes in multiple languages)
- State Media Monitor, 'Somali News Agency (SONNA)', 07.05.2026 (updated 10.05.2026), read 2026-10-20 (secondary: federal government-run state news agency, 'one of the main pillars' of MoICT; founded 5 Jan 1964, relaunched 2011; Director-General Ismail Mukhtar Omar identified in role through at least Feb-Mar 2026; no standalone budget disclosed; website sonna.so; X @SONNALIVE; Somali, Arabic, English)
Who pays?
Money
Nothing disclosed
- State advertising and foreign public funding
- Not disclosed
- Revenue mix
- Not disclosed
- Named funders
- Not disclosed
Where does it appear?
Channels
Not yet verified
- Official websites Pending check
- Official social accounts Pending check
Platform Link X x.com/SONNALIVE
How does it travel?
Distribution
Nothing disclosed
- Distribution partners
- Not disclosed
Who is connected?
Networks
Nothing disclosed
- Sister outlets in the same group
- Not disclosed
- Documented public-office or party roles
- Not disclosed
Change history
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 November 2026 | First published |
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