Puntland has launched court proceedings against two YouTubers, Mohamed Yacquub Siyaad and Ali Ahmed Ileye, for allegedly spreading disinformation and propaganda about the ongoing war against the Islamic State in Somalia (IS-Somalia aka ISIS). The two individuals, who have a significant following on social media, are accused of deliberately misleading the public, downplaying government successes, and amplifying ISIS’s messaging in a manner that undermines Puntland’s security and stability.
According to court documents, Mohamed Yacquub Siyaad, who goes by the name Yacquub Siyaad on social media and is based in Germany, has been a particularly vocal critic of the Puntland government’s efforts to combat ISIS. On December 26, 2024, on day of the announcement of the Hilac Campaign, a major military offensive against ISIS strongholds in the region, Siyaad allegedly claimed that the operation was a cover for an attack against a particular clan and that there was no ISIS presence in the country.
However, when ISIS launched a deadly attack on Puntland forces in Dharjaale on December 31, Siyaad reportedly changed his tone and began exaggerating Puntland’s losses and amplifying ISIS’s propaganda. In one particularly egregious incident, he is accused of posting a video of an ISIS execution, falsely claiming that those killed were Puntland soldiers captured during the Dharjaale attack. In reality, the video was from 2016 and had no connection to the recent fighting.
Siyaad is also alleged to have claimed that 100 Puntland soldiers were killed in the Dharjaale attack, a figure that has been strongly disputed by the government and independent observers. The court was presented with evidence of Siyaad making these and other false claims, which prosecutors argue have contributed to a climate of fear and confusion among the public and undermined trust in the government’s efforts to combat ISIS.
Disinformation in Puntland
In the context of Puntland’s war against ISIS, the spread of disinformation and propaganda has a particularly corrosive effect on public trust and morale. Individuals like Siyaad and Ileye can create a climate of fear and uncertainty that undermines the public’s confidence in the government’s ability to protect them and defeat the terrorist threat.
Moreover, the amplification of ISIS’s messaging through social media serves as a powerful recruitment tool for the group, attracting new followers and sympathizers who may be swayed by the false narrative of ISIS’s strength and invincibility.
The case against Siyaad and Ileye also underscores the challenges that Puntland faces in combating disinformation and propaganda in the digital age. While Puntland has taken the step of initiating legal action against the two YouTubers, the reality is that the internet is a vast and largely unregulated space, and it can be difficult to hold individuals accountable for their online activities, particularly when they are based outside the country.
