FALSE: United Nations office in Mogadishu did not issue a security alert in August 2024
The United Nations Office in Mogadishu denied the claim.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) received a security alert about possible attacks in Mogadishu in the coming days and warned its staff in August 2024 is FALSE.
The text accompanying the post reads, “The UN resident at Halane base in Mogadishu has issued a warning to its staff today, stating that they have received reports of potential terrorist acts that may occur in the coming days”.
The claim, which includes the UN logo, also names several places in the capital, including hotels and security checkpoints, as potential targets.
Similar claim was shared here.
Three attacks occurred in the capital in August 2024: one targeted Liido Beach, another took place in Dayniile district, and the third occurred in Garasbaley district, here, here and here.
The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) conducted a keyword search, which returned media reports claiming that the UN issued a security alert, here and here. However, other media outlets reported that the UN denied releasing any alerts about a possible attack in the capital, here, here, and here.
To verify the claim, the FESOJ team reviewed the Facebook and X accounts of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia and found that the UNSOM office had disowned the claim as a fake.
“The UN in Somalia has become aware recently of an alleged #UN security report circulating online – this document is false,” the UNSOM tweeted.
The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) looked into a post on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) received a security alert about possible attacks in Mogadishu in the coming days and warned its staff in August 2024 and found it to be FALSE.
This fact-check was produced by Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).
