After President Trump said he would curb immigration from ‘third world countries’ and later described people from Somalia as ‘garbage,’ Somali Americans and Somalis in Somalia expressed disappointment and hurt. The president told Somali Americans to ‘go back’ to Somalia and ‘fix it,’ calling the country ‘hell.’
Somalia has endured decades of conflict, displacement and the ongoing fight against the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab since the state collapsed after the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre. Millions of Somalis have fled, and many have built lives in the United States.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia, called the remarks vile and reminded listeners that Somali Americans contribute to the United States and work to improve the country. Many people in Somalia likewise rejected the characterization, saying they are striving to rebuild and serve their communities despite danger, poverty and weak governance.
Civic leaders and aid workers described the practical, life-saving work being done on the ground. Dr. Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adan, a dentist who founded Mogadishu’s only free ambulance service, said the comments revealed a lack of understanding about Somalis. He and his volunteers risk their lives attending bombing scenes, often arriving minutes after blasts and facing the threat of secondary explosions. They do this, he said, because every life is worth saving and because no one else will necessarily take the risk.
Other Somali-led initiatives highlight community resilience. The Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, directed by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ilwad Elman, operates the country’s first rape crisis center, offers rehabilitation programs for youths formerly forced into militias, and provides trauma-recovery and educational services, including ocean therapy for children. Abdiaziz Kediye launched Somalia’s first amputee soccer team to help people who lost limbs in the conflict regain mobility and confidence. Female journalists at Bilan Media run an all-women newsroom aimed at challenging stereotypes and holding power to account.
Farhia Mohamed Hussein, a reporter at Bilan, noted that young Somalis are starting businesses, embracing technology, creating art and music, and increasingly taking leadership roles. Researchers and analysts also emphasize the contributions of the Somali diaspora. Ahmed Soliman, a Horn of Africa expert at Chatham House, said the Somali population at home and abroad has made significant positive contributions to their communities.
Despite inflammatory rhetoric, U.S. engagement with Somalia remains substantial. The United States has been involved in Somalia for decades as a partner in stabilizing the federal government and countering al-Shabab. U.S. forces have trained Somali security forces and conducted strikes against al-Shabab targets; think tanks have reported higher strike rates since the Trump administration, citing U.S. Africa Command data.
Ilham Ali Gassar, a Somali representative in the East African Legislative Assembly and a peace-building expert, described demeaning statements about Somalia as deeply hurtful but emphasized that the long-standing partnership between the two countries is broader than any single politician’s remarks.
Reporting for this story included contributions from Abdirahman Hussein in Mogadishu.