Disinformation Against Puntland Will Not Succeed

[Deeq A.]

Two Somali-owned websites posted reports on made-up meetings in Galka’yo and Bosaso. The first report appeared in Radio Shabelle website associated with a  Mogadishu-based radio notorious for fanning intra-clan hostilities. It alleged that a meeting was held in Galka’yo attended by elders purportedly to denounce UAE for its involvement in Puntland. The meeting did not take place.

The other website, Somali Affairs, associated with a Somali politician, Abdirahman Abdishaskur, posted a report on  a meeting that  never took place in Bosaso city to  “call out” UAE  and its role in Puntland economy.  Abdishakur, to be fair to him, is on the record for describing Qatar as a country that funds rebels but never  genuine state-building endeavours.  

How Somali Affairs plugged in a fake news

People working on the orders of the  Qatari government have  appointed some Somali website owners  to post fake news in order to  turn away attention from the Gulf country accused of masterminding bombing campaigns in Bosaso, according to New York Times.

Radio Shabelle reinvents itself via fake news

The latest campaign to wage disinformation against Puntland State will hardly succeed. It exposed the gullibility of Somali websites and how easy it is to trace who pays them to spread disinformation and for what purpose.  If an award for purveyors of   fake news were ever created, Somali Affairs and Radio Shabelle websites would vie for the first place. They may even share the award given how shamefully they stooped so low as to spread lies about their fellow countrymen.

Hersi  D. Gamadid

Bosaso, Puntland State

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