According to a joint investigation by German broadcasters DW and ARD, Ayuub Abdirizaaq (known as “Captain Ayuub”) and Yacquub Siyad, two young Somalis who are well-known on social media, have been regularly spreading hateful and inciting messages, operating directly in Germany for years.
The investigation found that they regularly spread messages inciting violence on platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, reaching hundreds of thousands of followers, most of whom are Somali, at home and abroad. “Their messages are full of tribal hatred, calls for war, encouragement to open fire on soldiers and civilians, and advice on how to attack military installations,” the report said.
The report also said that Captain Ayuub, who said he was 13 when he picked up a gun and joined the clan war, boasts of having fought in more than 30 battles and was also a pirate in the past. Ayuub went to Germany in 2017, but later secretly returned to Somalia, where he joined the Puntland Defense Forces.
The report added that Yacqub Siyad, who is also well-known on social media, has been spreading hate speech and encouraging his followers to “cut off the leaders of the enemy.” DW said that the two men have long escaped detection because they speak a foreign language.
“When fighting broke out in Lascaanod in early 2023, both men actively participated in fomenting the conflict, traveling to Somalia, meeting with armed groups, and recording videos to post on social media to garner support and funding from communities abroad,” the report said.
The DW and ARD investigation revealed that Ayuub has close ties to senior Puntland officials, particularly President Said Deni, and has seen photos showing Ayuub sitting in the front row at events or accompanying government officials.
“It is worth noting that Ayuub has promised $20,000 to anyone who forms an armed militia. Although Yacqub cannot easily return to Somalia (as a Puntland military court sentenced him to 10 years in prison in absentia), he continues to incite hatred and war from Düsseldorf,” the report said.
Security experts interviewed for this report said the two men are waging “information warfare,” a new form of conflict aimed at destroying peace in Somalia, using technology and social media.
