In a recent press conference, President Donald Trump called Somalis “garbage” and said “their country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.”
Trump’s comments reflect popular perception about Somalia, a place synonymous with disorder. His statement that Somalia “is barely a country … they just run around killing each other” could have come from Black Hawk Down. What few people know is America’s role in destabilizing this nation.
Somalia before collapse
Somalia was not always a place of strife. Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia was once a major trade hub along the Maritime Silk Road. Colonization put an end to this prosperity, with the Somali people divided between Britain, Ethiopia, France and Italy.
After gaining independence, General Siad Barre launched a military coup in 1969. A self-proclaimed socialist, Barre initially received support from the Soviet Union. This ended with the 1977 Ogaden War, when he invaded socialist Ethiopia to support the Western Somali Liberation Front. To counter the Soviets, the United States provided Barre with hundreds of millions of dollars of weapons.
With the loss of the Ogaden War, Somalis turned against Barre. His response was brutal, using torture and mass killings, including the genocide of the Isaaq clan. Yet, America continued to send weapons until Barre was overthrown.
The influx of weapons were then used by Somalis in the civil war against each other. In 1992, America intervened with the goal of capturing or killing Mohamed Farrah Aidid of the Somali National Alliance, the largest faction in the conflict. American war crimes mounted, including the use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas.
Meanwhile, Somalis were working toward peace. On July 12, 1993, the Somali National Alliance clan leaders and civilians met to find a solution to the conflict. This meeting ended abruptly when American helicopters launched missiles and ammunition, believing it was a terrorist meeting. Over 50 were reported dead.
Missed chance for peace
In 2006, peace was on the horizon again with the emergence of the Islamic Courts Union. Controversial for its conservative interpretation of Islam, the group nevertheless brought stability through the creation of courts to resolve disputes and the provision of social services. But America saw them as terrorists, with the CIA sponsoring warlords to counter them. When this strategy failed, the United States backed Ethiopia’s invasion of the country.
The Islamic Courts Union was gone, but out of their defeat emerged a more extreme group: Al Shabaab. Affiliated with Al Qaeda, they soon captured much territory. The United States launched drone strikes, with high civilian casualties leading to more anti-American sentiment. Rather than deploy its own troops, the United States outsourced fighting to Kenya. Underpaid, these soldiers have collaborated with Al Shabaab in smuggling.
Trump’s Somalia record
Trump doesn’t want Somalis coming to the United States, but the same American foreign policy that led them to flee their home country was followed in his presidency. In his first term, Trump expanded the drone program. Days into his second term, his first major military operation were airstrikes in Northern Somalia. Even as Trump threatened to end AFRICOM, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reassured troops would not be withdrawn from Somalia.
What have Somalis received in return for this American carnage? In his first term, Trump included Somalia as part of the so-called Muslim ban. In his recent comments, Trump complained that Somalis are ripping off Minnesota and is threatening to send in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport them. The American violence Somalis fled from continues to follow them.
Who owes whom?
Somalis are not ripping off America; America is ripping off Somalia. It was America that provided the weapons Barre used against his people and Somalis used against each other. The war could have ended three decades ago if not for American intervention. Peace could have emerged in 2006 if not for the American-backed Ethiopian intervention. And rather than bring stability, America’s ongoing drone strokes and outsourcing to Kenya has only worsened the conflict.
Seen from this angle, Somalis coming to America are not being treated generously. Rather, by coming to a country that has destabilized their nation, migration becomes a form of reparations. Trump might not see it this way, but Americans should. Until intervention in Somalia ends, Americans owe a duty to Somalis to provide a safe haven.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Somalia Today.
This article originally appeared in Newsweek.
