‘He Insulted Nigeria Too’ — Somali PM Dismisses Trump’s Derogatory Comments

Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday urged citizens to ignore President Donald Trump’s derogatory remarks about Somalis, saying the American leader has a history of insulting numerous nations, including Nigeria, and should not be given undue attention.

Trump, speaking during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, described Somalis as “garbage” and claimed “we don’t want them in our country”

Trump added that Somalia “stinks” and that its citizens “just run around killing each other.”

His comments triggered outrage across the country’s capital Mogadishu and other parts of the country. Many Somalis condemned the remarks as racist and demeaning.

Abdisalan Omar, a respected elder from central Somalia, told Reuters that he was stunned by Trump’s language, insisting that such speech was unbecoming of a world leader and demanded a global response.

Others, like 45-year-old construction worker Bule Ismail, called Trump’s statements offensive to Somali culture and urged Americans to hold their president accountable.

Trump’s outburst follows a shooting in the capital Washington last week that left two National Guard troops dead.

Although an Afghan national has been charged, and pleaded not guilty, Trump used the incident to renew his push for a freeze on migration from what he labelled “third-world countries.”

Somali’s Prime Minister Barre, speaking at an innovation summit in Mogadishu, noted that Trump routinely targets multiple nations and that Somalia should not elevate his comments beyond their merit.

“Trump has insulted many countries including Nigeria and South Africa. There are statements that simply do not require a response. Ignoring them is better than turning them into an issue,” Barre said.

Trump recently announced the termination of temporary deportation protections for Somalis in Minnesota, alleging that “Somali gangs” were terrorizing the state. However Local officials pushed back, describing his assertions as untrue.

While the majority of Somalis criticised Trump’s remarks, a small number argued that his words reflected the country’s long-standing political instability and continued attacks by al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-affiliated militant group which is still attempting to overthrow Somalia’s central government.

“Trump said the truth but in unpleasant words,” Mogadishu resident Samira Abdullahi told Reuters

She claimed the government had previously seized her land, and added that, “We have no functioning government. Al Shabaab is looting and bombing everyone.”