Somali refugees living in Germany are reportedly playing a leading role in fueling Somalia’s civil war, according to an investigation by ARD’s Kontraste and Deutsche Welle.
These individuals are accused of inciting gang violence, calling for armed attacks, and raising funds for militias — all while living under German protection.
The investigation found one of the most prominent provocateurs to be Ayub A., a Somali influencer with over half a million followers on TikTok. In a widely circulated video from December 2022, filmed apparently in Germany, Ayub urged his viewers to take up arms, saying: “Take your guns and fight. Go to the rooftops and shoot everyone in uniform.”
In his videos, Ayub openly calls for armed struggle and offers money to those willing to form militias. “I swear, I’ll give you $20,000 if you form a militia,” he reportedly said in one clip.
Despite his asylum application being rejected in 2020, Ayub’s deportation was halted due to the security situation in Somalia. He has, nonetheless, traveled to Somalia several times. Videos show him alongside armed militias, including footage of him firing a heavy weapon during clashes in northern Somalia in 2023.
Security expert Moustafa Ahmed warned of the growing threat posed by such influencers. “We are witnessing digital warfare here,” Ahmed said, as cited by Tagesschau, stressing that online provocateurs are helping escalate violence by spreading propaganda and inciting conflict from abroad.
According to Kontraste, Ayub was involved in Somali piracy during the early 2010s. Former hostages from the freighter MV Iceberg 1 — hijacked in one of the longest hostage situations in modern maritime history — identified Ayub as one of the pirates.
A former crew member, Jewel Ahiable, told reporters: “Without a doubt, the man in the picture is Ayub.” Somali sources confirmed he was once a leading figure in a smaller pirate group.
Ayub’s dual life — a refugee in Germany and militant backer in Somalia — has attracted the attention of German authorities. While the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, Kontraste confirmed that inquiries are underway.
Ayub is not alone. Another Somali hate preacher based in Germany, Yacqwub Siyaad, has over 500,000 Facebook followers. He is known for inflammatory videos targeting rival clans and minorities. In one video, Siyaad declared: “Kill these beasts. Remove them from society. Whip them.” He also encourages armed violence between Somali clans, shouting, “Go to war!” and has openly solicited donations for Islamic militia groups attempting to overthrow the government.
Siyaad also arrived in Germany as a refugee and has benefited from the suspension on deportations to Somalia. Despite this, he returned home in 2023, where he was filmed alongside armed fighters in Puntland. He later returned to Germany. German authorities are now reviewing his residency status, and Kontraste reports that police in Düsseldorf have launched investigations into possible hate speech offenses. Meanwhile, Siyaad was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by a Somali court for online Islamist propaganda.
Ayub has recently been seen in Somalia, reportedly working as an adviser in Puntland. However, just last week, he posted a video showing himself on a highway in France.
In December 2022, German federal government figures revealed that one in 10 Somali nationals living in the country had been suspects in criminal offenses.
The data, published after a parliamentary request by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), showed that, of the 47,000 Somali nationals living in Germany in 2020, more than 5,200 of them had been suspects in criminal proceedings, equaling just over 11 percent.
Late last year, the former German government led by then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a deportation deal with the Somali government for the repatriation of illegal migrants or those convicted of serious offenses.
While deportations of Somalis can theoretically now be enforced, there is no public data on how many have actually returned since the agreement was signed.
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