South African journalist Micah Reddy missing in Djibouti

South African journalist Micah Reddy has gone missing in Djibouti along with his local fixer, Kooki Mahmoud, his family said.

Reddy, who also holds British nationality, travelled to Djibouti on assignment on Thursday. His wife, Nicole Beardsworth, said he remained in hourly contact with colleagues until 1:00 pm local time on Saturday, then stopped communicating. She said his phone was turned off after four hours.

Reddy is the African coordinator for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. He had been staying at a hotel in the capital before his disappearance.

His family said alerts had been issued to several authorities, including Interpol, the British High Commission and South Africa's foreign affairs department.

The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Djiboutian authorities to “immediately clarify their whereabouts and ensure their safety”.

A Djiboutian government official contacted by AFP said he was unaware of the case, while a senior ruling party member said it “was not true”. Djibouti ranks 167th out of 180 countries in the 2026 press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders.