Sunday June 21, 2020
WASHINGTON (HOL) - US President Donald Trump has described Somalia, where American troops fight the terrorist groups Al-Shabaab and ISIL a nation of anarchy with no government.
Addressing his supporters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump sounded derisive and patronising against Somalia.
Trump’s wild assertion that Somalia has no government runs counter to the fact that the US recognised the post-civil war Somali government in 2013 and has since posted two ambassadors.
Trump made the remarks ‘warning’ his supporters against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s support of Democratic candidate Joe Biden noting she (Omar) will make the US look like Somalia.
“She (Omar) will like to make the government of our country like the country she came from-Somalia,” said Trump. “No government, no safety, no police, no nothing; just anarchy. And now she’s telling us how to run out country. No thank you.”
The US maintains hundreds of troops in Somalia which assist in training Somali National Army and fighting alongside SNA special forces, Danab and African Union forces to defeat Al-Shabaab and ISIL in Somalia.
The US runs a military and training base at Baledogle in Lower Shabelle region.
Besides the US, the UK, Turkey and the EU bloc are involved in building the Somali Security Forces.
These countries also pump in millions of dollars annually to Somalia for humanitarian aid and budget support to the government.
Trump was similarly derisive during the 2016 campaigns against Somalis in the US and went ahead to institute a travel ban targeting Muslim countries including Somalia.