Somalis allegedly being Arabised and Minneapolis’s Mamdani

Issue #7: Omar Fateh has won his party’s backing for Minneapolis mayor, sparking a right-wing media frenzy.

Faisal Ali

and

Mahbub M Abdillahi

Jul 26, 2025

This week, we cover Somalis allegedly being Arabized, Minneapolis’s Mamdani, and the seizure of the MV Sea World by Puntland. (Graphic: Geeska)

Good morning everyone and welcome to another issue of Acacia, Geeska’s weekly East Africa newsletter!

That tired old debate about whether Somalis are being “Arabised” flared up again this week – all thanks to a TikTok by a guy called Zehn Ali. In the clip, he rattles off three reasons: Arab culture is apparently the blueprint, the Somali language is (allegedly) on life support, and Somalis are cosplaying as Arabs not truly understanding what they’re saying often or doing. The video got a lot of traction on X after it migrated there. The irony of announcing the death of the Somali language in an English-language video was not lost on Ibrahim Hirsi, a Somali poet and writer who is currently exploring the topic in Journal Gobanimo through the question of clothing. The Somali language is “alive and kicking”, Hirsi posted. After he went viral, Zehn posted a clarification, pointing out that he was asking where the line lay “between Islam and Arab culture”. The issue is a sensitive one, as Somalis do import a great deal of culture from the Middle East which enriches the Somali life — from sartorial choices to literature, religious ideas, films, food, customs, and architectural styles. Somalia even joined the Arab League in 1974 and has a large diaspora from Egypt to the UAE and all in between. It is an intimate and historical relationship which Somalis appreciate and even make fun of (great video here). But it occasionally triggers anxieties in some quarters that indigenous aspects of Somali culture are being jettisoned.

Elsewhere in the connections between Somalis and Arabs, Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar met with Mahmoud Khalil, an activist who became a political prisoner after the Trump administration had ICE detain him for his advocacy against the genocide in Gaza. In a post on X, Omar said: “People across the country are facing consequences simply for standing up against a genocide and that should concern all of us.” Concern about the situation in Gaza has grown over recent weeks, even among the last holdouts of Israeli support in the US and the UK. The Guardian described Israel’s actions as genocide, and The New York Times ran a piece by genocide scholar Omar Bartov (here) in which he explained why he thinks Israel is committing genocide. They then chickened out and published a rebuttal of Bartov’s assessment by their columnist Bret Stephens, who basically argued that Israel could be killing far more people (!). Duty of care before we share his piece; Stephens doesn’t have the credentials to make this call. (Read here)

TRT Afrika is reporting that the Somali Football Federation has launched an intensive training course for female Somali referees. Jawahir Roble, a British-Somali referee, has already broken ground there. On the topic of sporting firsts, Abdirahman Hassan became the first Somali rower to compete in a world championship at the Under 23 level. He appeared in a super viral video on YouTuber Max Klymenko’s channel this week. Watch him compete below from 42.50 minutes:

Munira Maalimisaq, a Somali nurse, appeared on the EatandTalk MN podcast, where she said that an omertà among Somali men around sex-related issues is causing harm. The clip went viral on TikTok and Munira has helpful advice. Quick segue; Somali Redditors are discussing their favourite Somali dishes (here). And if you’ve ever worried about your ability to learn another language, this white guy’s impressive Somali might just inspire you.

That’s the entrée. Now for a deeper dive into the stories we’re featuring this week: the West is apparently losing hope in Somalia; Omar Fateh is the Democrat nominee for the Minneapolis mayoral race; and Puntland has seized a vessel carrying weapons for the federal government — though it isn’t entirely clear why.

Politics: Puntland seizes arms shipment heading to Mogadishu

This week, the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) intercepted the MV Sea World, a ship carrying weapons and armoured vehicles off the coast of Bareeda, Ras Caseyr destined for Mogadishu. The ship’s cargo was intended for a Turkish military training facility in the capital, according to the federal government, which issued a statement on the incident after nearly a week of silence, accusing Puntland of “hijacking” the vessel. Puntland, a federal state, isn’t constitutionally responsible for national defence policy, but it is entirely autonomous from the central government. Puntland rejected the characterisation, stating that the ship had been loitering off its coast for two days; that the federal government hadn’t claimed it; and called for a joint investigation with Turkey and the federal government.

The ship remains in Puntland’s hands a week on, but several competing claims have emerged and the lack of transparency on the issue hasn’t helped. Puntland says the vessel was flagged to Somaliland, while the federal government says it was registered under Comoros. Puntland says it was carrying no commercial goods—only weapons—which the federal government also denies. At the moment we’re at least somewhat clear on who it belongs to. The Somali government has said the shipment was intended for Camp TurkSom, the Turkish training academy for Somali soldiers. Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, a former Somali prime minister, said he met with the Turkish ambassador in Mogadishu, Alper Aktaş, who confirmed this.

The seizure of the MV Sea World has further unsettled an already turbulent Somali political scene this week, underscoring the new nadir reached in relations between Puntland and the federal government. Views on the incident and its aftermath have been plentiful. Somaliland’s foreign minister, Abdirahman Dahir Adam, said the international community needs to “urgently re-evaluate” the lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia. Fahad Yasin, the former powerful spy chief, said the incident demonstrates that Said Deni, Puntland’s president and a presidential candidate in the upcoming election, has “no respect” for the government he aims to lead. Abdirizak Mohamed, an MP and former security minister, said the seizure shows that Somalia’s is in the “gutter” and resembles George Orwell’s Animal Farm. “Not abiding the rule of law has become the prevailing trait between people on the echelon of leadership.” Mursal Khaliif, also an MP and member of the defence committee quoted tweeted him and added: “Wondering who would fit characters of Old Major, prize winning boar, or Napoleon, manipulative leader, in our context!” Share you thoughts in the comments.

Politics: Somaliland foreign minister in Taipei

This week, Somaliland’s foreign minister, Abdirahman Adam, accompanied by Naval Commander, Hurre Haarie, arrived in Taiwan for an official visit, signalling another leap in the budding alliance between the two unrecognised states. The trip follows the official unveiling of Taiwan Avenue in Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital—a road connecting the airport to the city. The two states signed a maritime cooperation agreement. In a post on X, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said: “With shared democratic values, our ever deepening relationship now includes a new Coast Guard cooperation agreement.”

The relationship between Hargeisa and Taipei dates back to 2020, when they decided to establish ties. Taiwan has made efforts to boost its visibility in Somaliland by offering scholarships to military officers, funding a healthcare centre, and signing an energy agreement. China has said it opposes contacts between Somaliland and Taiwan and has boosted its relations with Somalia’s federal government.

Diaspora: Omar Fateh wins Democrat endorsement for mayor

Minnesota state senator Omar Fateh hit a major milestone in his mayoral campaign by securing the endorsement of the Minneapolis Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Several newspapers likened Fateh and Zohran Mamdani, a New York socialist who won the Democratic nomination there. Matt Walsh, the right-wing commentator, is speaking about how “Minneapolis has turned into Somalia”. The endorsement gives Fateh a boost in what’s shaping up to be a competitive race, positioning him as the progressive frontrunner against incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey. In response to the endorsement, Frey, who lost out on the ticket to Fateh posted on X: “This election should be decided by our entire city, not by a handful of delegates.”

Fateh, son of Somali immigrants, was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Virginia. He earned his master’s degree in public administration at George Mason University, spending summers in Minneapolis, a Somali hub in the US, before eventually settling there. He rose to political prominence in 2020 after unseating longtime senator Jeff Hayden. In 2022, senator Fateh was cleared of serious ethics allegations (quid pro quo and ballot fraud) but was sanctioned with mandatory campaign finance training for failing to disclose a $1,000 advertising payment. Now, as he seeks to become the city’s first Somali and Muslim mayor, Fateh has once again become a target of racist attacks from right-wing MAGA supporters. We covered these ongoing racist attacks in last week’s issue. Still, the DFL endorsement has sparked a wave of cheeky posts online. “Somali mayor in Minneapolis, Ugandan mayor in New York—now we just need an Ethiopian mayor in DC to complete the East African takeover of U.S. politics,” @dylanali_ joked. “There is no Somali diaspora doing it like the Somali Minnesotan diaspora. The domination continues,” Somali writer Najma Sharif said.

Politics: Somali PM appeals to diaspora as UK MPs back Somaliland independence

Somalia’s prime minister, Hamza Barre, has called on the UK’s Somali community to raise their voices as a growing number of British MPs advocate for recognition of Somaliland’s independence. “We need you to use your voice and your votes to defend your country and its unity,” Barre said. Somaliland’s spokesperson, Hussein Deyr, hit back, describing Barre’s appeal as a “desperate reaction”.

The Somali diaspora is complex, but the UK has a large community of people originating from present-day Somaliland, who have been lobbying and appealing to British MPs to push ahead with recognising Somaliland. These include senior Tories such as Gavin Williamson, who was given an honorary Somaliland passport, Lord Edward Udny-Lister, and Labour figures including the British-Yemeni MP Abtisam Mohamed, Baroness Catharine Letitia Hoey and Kim Johnson. Many of them were at a recent All-party parliamentary group, where a report was published detailing a strategy for Somaliland’s recognition. In 2022, the issue was debated in parliament after Gavin Williamson put forward a motion during an adjournment debate, which was dismissed by the UK’s Minister for Africa at the time, Vicky Ford. “It is for SL and the Federal Government of Somalia to decide their future,” she wrote on X. Rory Stewart, co-host of The Rest is Politics podcast and a former Tory minister, explained why the UK is unlikely to act on the issue when fielding a question from British-Somali journalist Rageh Omar. Stewart said he himself was “sympathetic” but added the UK would likely be worried about the risks involved in such a move, including fuelling conflicts there. Fighting broke out in the Sool region in early 2023, resulting in Somaliland losing control of the eastern city of Las Anod. The city has since declared a separate unionist administration known as SSC-Khaatumo (SSC-K).

Big picture: Is the West turning its back on Somalia?

Two recent reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and The Economist suggest that Somalia’s Western backers are losing patience with the government’s poor track record, despite the exorbitant sums being outlaid to keep it afloat. A Western diplomat speaking anonymously to AFP said there is “donor fatigue” with Somalia, referring to the country’s persistent reliance on aid to function. Security failures have had a similar impact, the diplomat added: “People are asking: ‘What have we bought for the last 10 years?’ Seeing the army run away and having (to create) AUSSOM was really hard for people”. Similarly, The Economist’s Africa correspondent, Tom Gardner reported that that Somalia’s state-building is “in tatters”, referring to the deep issues between the federal government and some federal member states.

Whilst Ali Mohamed Omar, a foreign affairs minister, dismissed the tensions mentioned in the report as not unusual, the bigger picture is one in which the international community is less generous, and Somalia has yet to build its own capacity to fund government operations (crucially security). The government is aware of the problem and we covered that here. The politicking between Somali elites appears futile amid such a daunting backdrop, though. While it is unlikely that the international community will abandon Somalia to al-Shabaab or IS-Somalia, we can be sure that “one of Africa’s most fragile states looks set to weaken further,” as Gardner writes.

Across the gees

Eritrea’s reclusive president, Isaias Afwerki, emerges once a year to give his hot take on global, regional and local issues in an interview with the state channel, Eri-TV. They can be interesting. In this year’s instalment, he laid the blame for Sudan’s war on the UAE’s leader, Mohammed bin Zayed. “The UAE’s leader is at the forefront in this baffling scheme, which is also intertwined with the wider and elusive agenda of controlling virtually the constellation of ports from Suez all the way down to the Gulf of Aden and as far as Tanzania,” Afwerki said. The UAE has been widely accused of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces against Sudan’s army — a claim it denies.
Staying with Sudan, the Associated Press has attempted to tally the damage after three years of fighting. The figures are genuinely frightening: at least 40,000 people killed and over 10 million displaced; 9 million children out of school; 124 healthcare facilities impacted; more than 6,000 hectares of agricultural land lost; and 64 utility sites destroyed or damaged.
RT’s Arabic service is reporting that the director general of Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance (Gerd) project, Aregawi Berhe, has said the country will build even more dams — a move likely to further antagonise Egypt. Speaking to local media on Wednesday, Berhe said: “We will not stop at just one dam; rather, we need dams that serve other purposes, including agriculture.” Cairo and Addis Ababa have been locked in a standoff over the issue, which Egypt says threatens its water security. Trump said last week that he would resolve the dispute but has stirred up more anger by repeatedly claiming the US funded the dam. Ethiopia isn’t happy about that.

Africa

Benin is seeking to strengthen its ties with the African-American community by appointing filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee — a producer and author — as ambassadors to the US’s African-American population. The government says the move will help connect “people of African descent around the world to their historical, cultural, and spiritual roots.” Benin has a strong record of engaging with African-Americans; last year, it passed a law allowing anyone with an African ancestor who was taken during the slave trade to claim citizenship.

Tangents

This week, we bring you a conversation with Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine on SMWX, discussing his political journey, presidential candidacy, challenges to President Museveni, and his views on Julius Malema and the growing popularity of Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traoré.