The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) project published a new report about a statement released on June 10, 2026 in English titled “The U.S. Reveals Its True Hatred Towards the Somali People” from the Shahada News Agency, the media arm of Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab).
In the statement, Al-Shabab criticizes long-standing U.S. policy toward Somalia, arguing that official rhetoric about partnership masks alleged persistent hostility. It contends that while Washington claims to support Somalia, it simultaneously supports corrupt leaders and bloodthirsty warlords, wages economic warfare against Somalia, and interferes in Somalia’s internal politics.
It also highlights the U.S. administration’s alleged brazen hostility and vitriolic insults against the Somali people, citing the case of Omar Artan, a 2026 FIFA World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the U.S.
According to Al-Shabab, the case of Artan serves as the latest and “most damning proof” that American policy extends beyond security concerns to encompass broad ethnic discrimination. Artan’s case, it adds, demonstrates that U.S. decision-making is driven not by security concerns but rather by racial and ethnic prejudice targeting Somalis as a whole.
“It is a deep-rooted hostility that manifests across multiple fronts, including the indiscriminate drone strikes that spare neither women, children or the elderly civilians in Somalia,” it adds.
Concluding, Al-Shabab calls on Somali youth to reject distractions and mobilize against foreign influence and domestic allies, urging collective action to reclaim sovereignty and build an independent state governed by Islamic law.
“We urge you not to squander your most precious time on momentary distractions such as the so-called World Cup. Let us work together to expel the invaders and the soulless puppets from our lands.”
