Several US media outlets falsely reported that the Somaliland government had called for the extradition of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, basing their stories on a post from the @RepOfSomaliland X account that does not represent the state. Fox News, the New York Post, The Independent, and other publications ran stories suggesting Somaliland was demanding Omar's extradition, despite the account's unofficial status.

Somaliland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had publicly stated in December that this account was not an official government channel. The ministry noted it had "begun identifying social media accounts that are NOT official Government of Somaliland channels" and emphasized they were not authorized to speak on its behalf. In a statement to The Guardian on Monday, the ministry advised that "any news or statements be referenced solely from official and authorized channels to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information."

Fox News later issued a quiet correction, acknowledging the account was not a verified government outlet. The right-wing news outlet revised its headline to: "Pro-Somaliland account backs extraditing Ilhan Omar after Vance fraud claim." This misinformation emerged in response to US Vice President JD Vance's allegations during a March 28 interview with conservative influencer Benny Johnson, where Vance claimed Omar had "definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America."

Omar's chief of staff, Connor McNutt, dismissed Vance's accusations as "a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract," referencing Vance's past admission of willingness to "create stories" to redirect media attention. This is not the first time Omar has been targeted by viral misinformation with a Somali angle—in early 2024, a mistranslated clip of her Minneapolis speech spread rapidly online with right-wing figures accusing her of declaring herself "Somalian first."

These reports spread against a backdrop of escalating rhetoric from the White House targeting Minnesota's Somali community and Somalia. Just days before Vance's interview, Donald Trump described Somalia as a "crooked, disgusting country," and the following day boasted of getting Minnesota "back from Somalia." The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned these remarks, with executive director Jaylani Hussein warning that portraying an entire people as intellectually inferior "is not just political rhetoric—it is dehumanization."

Source: www.theguardian.com