Somalia detains four youth for 'desecrating US flag

Somalia police have detained four youth who were filmed desecrating the star-spangled banner flag of the US, eliciting a formal complaint from Washington.

The Ministry of Defence said on Sunday the group would face the law.

A statement identified the oldest of them as Abdikhadar Mahad Omar Osoble aged 22. The rest are aged 15, 16, and 17.

The controversy emerged on Saturday after a social media video showed four individuals wearing attire similar to the uniform of Somali National Army, stepping on the US flag and chanting anti-American slogans.

Soon after the footage circulated, Somalia’s Ministry of Defence said, “All individuals involved in the incident involving the misuse of the National Armed Forces uniform and the disrespect of the United States flag have been apprehended.”

It added that the detained suspects were facing possible charges for inappropriate use of military uniforms and disrespecting a foreign national flag.

So far, there are no indications of what motivated the anti-American action. It is also unclear when the video was first recorded.

But the swift action by Mogadishu followed a protest by Washington after the video emerged. The US said such an act could threaten US support for Somalia’s state rebuilding, including training Somali forces and support for institutions involved in governing the country.

“The United States has provided billions of taxpayer dollars in assistance to Somalia. Anti-American acts harm our bilateral relationship,” the US Embassy in Mogadishu said in a statement on X, condemning the incident. “Malfeasant actors who seek to tarnish Somalia’s relationship with the United States harm the Somali people and must continue to be held accountable.”

The US embassy added, “American support had long helped fund military action against terrorist organisations that threaten the United States and most directly, target the Somali people.”

The US heavily funds and trains the Somalia army in the fight against Al-Shabaab and ISIS extremist groups, especially through the elite Danab (Lightning) commando brigade.

This comes amid growing dislike among some Somalis over US President Donald Trump’s recurrent derogatory remarks against Somalia and Somali immigrants in the US.

Trump has previously lampooned Somali migrants, saying, “they contribute nothing…” and “we don’t want them in our country.”

Trump has also targeted Somali American politicians, saying, “Somalis to return and repair their country.”

In December 2025, Somalia Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre urged Somalis to ignore derogatory remarks made by President Trump.

Barre noted, “Trump had previously disparaged many other nations, including South Africa.”

He advised against making a political issue out of inflammatory rhetoric.

Though investigations were promised, by press time there was no information on where the damaging footage was taken and if there were other actors involved.