By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Police have taken into custody four TikTokers for allegedly insulting Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a dance video posted on the popular social media platform.
The police in a statement on Tuesday said the suspects will soon be charged to court.
In the now-deleted post, several young men were seen dancing to a remix of a campaign song originally used during the President’s election bid in 2022.
The lyrics was however corrupted to including abusive language, a development authorities found unsavoury.
Police said the behaviour in the video which has found its way to other social media platforms constitutes what they call “criminal offence” under Somali law.
Police spokesman Gen Abdifatah Aden warned the public that anyone engaging in similar acts that disrespected national institutions or leaders would “face the full force of the law”.
The arrests have reignited public debate over the role of social media in Somalia, particularly TikTok, which has been at the centre of controversy in the past.
TikTok very popular in Somalia and within the large Diaspora, especially among the youth, who use it for entertainment reasons, political commentary and satire.
In 2023, the government considered banning the platform altogether, citing concerns over national security, the spread of misinformation and the erosion of social and moral values.
It however faced public opposition, but officials warned that the platform was increasingly being used to spread harmful content.
Several social media influencers have been arrested and jailed in the past for spreading clan-based insults, incitement or “immoral” content on platforms like TikTok, but this is the first case involving a top politician.
