TikTok and Somali clan politicsCEFR B2
23 Oct 2025
Adapted from Said Isse, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Fatima Yusuf, Unsplash
TikTok is reshaping Somali identity politics by amplifying clannism and increasing intergroup polarisation. Clan identity in Somalia rests on patrilineal lineage and long directed political organisation, dispute resolution and social belonging. In earlier times, Shir assemblies—clan meetings led by senior men—served as forums for mediation. The collapse of the central state and a growing diaspora have digitalised clan interactions and created transnational identity networks.
The app’s features—For You Page, duets, stitches and remixes—make it easy for content to go viral and encourage performative expressions of clan identity. Younger users and women, who were often marginalised in traditional clan politics, now display clan flags, compose clan-based poems and insert coded language into livestreams. Influencers stage TikTok clan battles: they taunt rivals, mobilise followers and collect digital coins framed as clan pride. Recorded clips and edited short videos are recirculated, prolonging feuds and raising engagement.
Credible media and the research report that coins from TikTok battles funded sides in the 2023 conflicts in Laasanood. Interviewees said the platform’s algorithm favours emotional content and that some influencers deliberately play on anger and pride to boost engagement. Online behaviour spills offline: stereotypes and clan jokes from TikTok appear in schools and normalise insulting language among young people. Many creators promote peace and shared history, but these messages often struggle to gain the same visibility as divisive content.
- Experts recommend culturally informed moderation teams and deeper review of Somali posts.
- They suggest banning keywords and hashtags that inflame conflicts.
- They call for digital literacy training for youth and community awareness.
- Policymakers, civil society, elders and influencers should work together to promote unity-focused content.
TikTok can both deepen division and support solidarity. Change at platform, community and policy levels will determine whether it helps Somali society move toward unity or further conflict.
Difficult words
- clannism — political loyalty based on clan membership
- patrilineal — descent or inheritance traced through fathers
- diaspora — people from a country living abroad
- performative — expressions meant to show identity publicly
- influencer — person who shapes opinions online for followersinfluencers
- algorithm — set of rules a platform uses to decide
- polarisation — division into opposing groups or opinions
- moderation — process of reviewing and managing online content
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might platforms balance removing harmful keywords with allowing free expression in Somali online spaces? Give reasons based on the article.
- What roles can influencers, elders and policymakers play together to promote unity-focused content? Give examples from the article or real life.
- Do you think digital literacy training for youth could reduce offline spread of stereotypes from TikTok? Why or why not?
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