Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somalia’s Defence Minister has rejected remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of demeaning Somalis after he used a campaign rally to describe the country as “filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”
Ahmed Moallim Fiqi stated that Somalis would not accept leaders speaking about them “in a humiliating way,” even as he underlined Mogadishu’s reliance on U.S. military support against al-Qaeda-linked militants.
In a text message to Reuters, Fiqi said Trump should concentrate on the promises he made to American voters “rather than busying himself with Somalia.”
Escalating rhetoric
Trump’s latest comments came at a rally in Pennsylvania that was billed as an opportunity to discuss his economic record. Instead, he pivoted to immigration and railed against arrivals from “Third World” countries, singling out Somalia.
“We always take people from Somalia, places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime,” Trump told supporters.
“The only thing they’re good at is going after ships,” he added, referring to piracy off Somalia’s coast.
The rally followed a cabinet meeting last week where Trump described Somalis as “garbage” who “just run around killing each other,” according to Reuters.
Fiqi asserted that Somalia rejects Trump’s portrayal and his “filthy” insult to Somalis.
He thanked the United States for its pivotal role in the fight against al-Shabaab, but emphasised that support does not give any leader a licence to insult Somalis as a people.
“The Somali people are known around the world for their hard work,” he said.
“They are known for their resilience in the face of adversity. They have faced hardships and many enemies, including those who deny their existence, kill them, humiliate and insult them. Somalis have overcome all of them and have survived.”
Trump’s language has hardened since the shooting last month of two National Guard troops in Washington. After that attack, he promised to freeze migration from poorer countries he labels “Third World”.
Prosecutors have charged an Afghan national with murder in connection with the ambush. He has pleaded not guilty.
Migrants in focus
Trump has repeatedly used Somali migrants as a symbol in broader attacks on U.S. immigration policy, particularly in Minnesota, home to one of the world’s largest Somali diaspora communities.
In recent weeks, he accused Somalis there of “destroying” parts of the state and suggested authorities should deport many back to East Africa. These comments drew sharp rebuttals from state officials and community leaders.
Local politicians have defended Somali Americans as small-business owners, health workers, and taxi drivers who keep the local economy running.
Community advocates warn that Trump’s rhetoric paints an entire community as a threat and fuels fear among immigrants regardless of their citizenship status.
Ilhan Omar, the Somali-born Democrat who represents Minneapolis in Congress, has remained a frequent target.
Trump has repeatedly called for her deportation, even though she became a U.S. citizen 30 years ago and now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Critics argue that this focus on Omar and Somali communities fits a longer pattern in which Trump uses migrants of colour as political foils.
Rights groups and Somali activists warn that such language can embolden harassment and violence at a time when many Somali Americans already feel under scrutiny.
Security ties endure
For Somalia’s government, the row arrives at a delicate moment in its security partnership with Washington. U.S. forces train and advise elite Somali units and carry out regular airstrikes against al-Shabaab and Islamic State cells.
In November and December, U.S. Africa Command announced several airstrikes in Somalia that it conducted with the Somali government’s consent, targeting militants in central and southern regions.
The United States has also channelled hundreds of millions of dollars into Somali forces and African Union missions over the past decade, in a bid to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for extremists.
Somali officials have often avoided direct confrontation with U.S. presidents. Somalia also depends heavily on foreign aid and military backing.
This time, however, the Defence Minister publicly stressed that Somalia values U.S. support on the battlefield, but will not accept language that, in his view, strips Somalis of dignity.
