INQUIRIES LAUNCHED: Top SA investigative journalist goes missing in Djibouti

South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy has not been heard from since midday on Saturday.

South African investigative journalist Micah Reddy and his local “fixer” Kooki Mahmoud have gone missing while on assignment in the tiny African state of Djibouti on the Red Sea, causing alarm to their colleagues and families.

Both the South African and British governments have tried to contact the Djiboutian government to find out if the two men have been arrested of if something else has befallen them. US authorities and the Djibouti government have also been contacted for information about the two men who have not been heard from since midday on Saturday.

Johannesburg-based Reddy is Africa coordinator at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a collective of international media houses which has conducted several global exposés of corruption.

His Washington-based ICIJ editor, Fergus Shiel, told Daily Maverick that Reddy was not in Djibouti to report about the country. He had arrived in Djibouti on a flight from Johannesburg on Thursday at about 6.30pm after a stopover in Addis Ababa.

“He was staying at a hotel called Escale International Hotel and he intended to be in Djibouti for no more than three days. He met with a local fixer called Kooki Mahmoud. He wasn’t there to report on anything to do with Djibouti. He was there in the hope of learning about something that was a long-term investigation. I can’t go into that because it could put him at further risk.”

Shiel said that at 1pm local time on Saturday Reddy was to meet Kooki. “And he texted to say that everything was fine and Kooki was arriving, and we haven’t heard from him since.”

Four hours later Reddy’s phone was still showing that he was receiving messages as Shiel was getting two ticks on them. “But shortly after that it went to one tick and at that point I became worried about his safety. And from then until 3am last night we have been doing everything in our power to alert authorities in the UK, South Africa the US and Djibouti about him.

“The South Africans were wonderful. The South African government responded immediately to say that they would help. The UK government immediately launched a missing person’s report. That was as early as midday yesterday. They launched that with the Djibouti authorities.”

He added that former Daily Maverick editor-in-chief Branko Brkic had put him in touch with Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

“It’s very, very unusual for somebody to disappear from the lobby of an international hotel,” Shiel said. “We’re calling upon the Djibouti authorities to reveal where Micah is. We suspect he’s in custody and we want him returned. There is no reason for Djibouti authorities to pay attention to Micah.