Somalia’s Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, and Robert Flannery, an adviser to the US government’s East Africa Counterterrorism Program, have discussed ways to counter extremism and strengthen joint communications work.
The two officials explored closer coordination on counterterrorism messaging, preventing the spread of extremist ideology, and improving the government’s ability to reach the public, during a meeting in Mogadishu on October 10, according to Shabelle Media.
The Somalian minister called for a unified media strategy to support public-awareness campaigns and strengthen community participation in counterterrorism efforts.
The meeting comes as Mogadishu continues efforts to limit the reach of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group that uses media platforms to promote its ideology and undermine confidence in the Somali government and its international partners. In 2022, Somalia said it had shut down more than 500 social-media accounts spreading al-Shabaab narratives.
In a separate development, Somaliland officials have welcomed Trump’s remarks at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 12, in which he described the self-declared republic as “a totally different country” from Somalia and suggested it change its name.
Trump said he preferred to call it “Somalia Land” rather than Somaliland, arguing that the name caused confusion. His comments did not amount to formal US recognition, but Somaliland’s leadership treated them as an important political signal.
Somaliland’s presidency and senior officials welcomed the remarks, with Minister of the Presidency Khadar Looge calling them historic. Presidential spokesman Hussein Deyr thanked Trump for acknowledging Somaliland’s “distinct identity,” while Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan said the comments reflected Somaliland’s separate political status and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Washington.
The ruling Waddani party suggested Somaliland could adopt the name “Red Sea Republic,” while the opposition Kaah party rejected a name change.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not achieved widespread international recognition. Somalia continues to regard the territory as an integral part of its sovereign territory.
Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland in December 2025, a move that triggered strong condemnation from Mogadishu and several regional and international actors. Somalia’s government described the recognition as an unlawful attack on its sovereignty, while the UN Security Council heard warnings that the step could heighten tensions in the Horn of Africa.
