Finnish Somalis wary of NATO membership, Russia’s reaction | News
Somalis with personal experience of war in their homeland are more likely to be concerned about the consequences that Finland will seek from NATO.
I sit in the living room of an apartment in Helsinki in front of a temporary “green screen”, Hassan Kaafi Halane adjusts its microphone in preparation for the start of a NATO-themed webcast.
He has invited guests online to discuss Finland’s possible application to join the military alliance, which has come to the attention of several Somalis living in Finland in recent weeks and has raised concerns among them.
The conversation will be conducted in Somali on Facebook Live and the number of viewers during the webcast will range from a hundred to a few thousand.
“Somalis are afraid that Russia will attack Finland,” Kaafi Halane tells Yle.
He had worked as a journalist in Somalia before fleeing to Finland eight years ago. Somalia is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.
In Finland, Kaafi Halane supports herself and her family of three by working as a taxi driver. However, to some extent he has wanted to continue his work as a journalist, as he considers it important to keep people up to date on current issues in the Somali language.
“The purpose of the program is to increase the awareness of Somalis living in Finland about NATO. People have been worried about the consequences of joining NATO,” he points out.
Their proficiency in the Finnish language varies greatly, especially as many have only come to Finland in the last few years – while others have been born in Finland. That is why many do not follow the news in Finnish or Swedish, but in their own mother tongue.
Researcher at the University of Helsinki, Matti Pohjonenhas researched the use of social media in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, and tells Yle that platforms, like Somalis, are a very important tool for Ethiopians to follow the news around the world while living.
“Respora residents typically follow several news sources that are available in their own mother tongue. They also follow domestic news about their new mastery,” says Pohjonen.
Some may also have low literacy, which is why news is often consumed visually, and another reason why social media plays an important role in the Finnish Somali community.
“Visual media sources play an important role in countries where literacy is low. Information is sought from videos because they do not require literacy,” Pohjonen points out.
Based on the background interviews conducted for this article, people who have personally experienced the war in Somalia are more concerned about Finland’s possible accession to NATO than their Finnish-born colleagues.
Young people with a Somali background are eager to defend Finland, especially those who have served in the country’s army, Kaafi Halane adds.
“If Russia attacks, young people say they will go to the army,” he says.
Many Somalis are “afraid” of Finland joining NATO
Turku resident Oh Ali arrived in Finland in 1992 at the age of 17 while traveling alone to Moscow to escape the raging civil war in his homeland. A few months after arriving in Finland, Ali learned that his father, who had remained in Somalia, had been killed.
“Unfortunately, many Somalis have experienced war. Many are wondering if they will have to escape the war again. Are we safe anywhere?” Ali describes the feelings evoked by the war in Ukraine in the Somali community.
Ali is an entrepreneur and municipal politician from the Social Democratic Party, which is why he knows a lot of people. He says he listened to their thoughts on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Some people have told him that they are having trouble sleeping because of these concerns.
Ali, who previously served as Turku City Councilor for two terms, was elected to the Association of Southwest Finland this year after collecting more than 500 votes.
He says that many Somalis who have fled the war have experienced a sense of security in Finland, which has been strengthened by the Nordic non-aligned status. Finnish negotiation skills and the will to defend peace are highly valued among the Somali community, he adds.
“Many fear that if Finland joins NATO, what will happen? Will the neighbor attack or not? When Finland talks about joining NATO, it is said that Finland can no longer be neutral. Finland is no longer a mediator for peace,” Ali says.
Researcher Pohjonen also notes the role of the United States in shaping Somalia’s views in the NATO Alliance, especially as some of the fighting involved American soldiers serving as UN peacekeepers in Somalia in the 1990s.
“The intentions of the West and the United States are highly valued. Part of the Islamic movement has opposed Western imperialism and hegemony,” Pohjonen says.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States struggled for decades to influence East African politics, and according to Pohjonen, the aftermath of the Cold War is still being felt in Somalia.
In addition, many Finnish Somalis do not know enough about NATO, and this uncertainty may increase fear. Wrong information can spread quickly and easily, Alas Ali says, because not everyone follows the news in Finnish. For example, someone might see the smoke from a fire and think Russia has launched an attack.
Researcher: Russia is trying to influence people’s opinions outside Europe
According to Pohjonen, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, Russians’ efforts to influence public opinion in Western Europe have declined significantly in recent months, as social media companies have rejected such content.
In addition, because of the war in Ukraine, anti-Russian sentiment is currently so strong in Europe that it would be very difficult to influence people’s opinions. For this reason, Russian disinformation campaigns have shifted their focus to other parts of the world, such as Africa, where they hope to achieve better results.
“The farther we go from Europe, the more effective Russia’s disinformation can be. It would be logical to try to influence countries that are not completely against Russia. However, it has not been studied very widely because there is a strong interest in Europe,” says Pohjonen.
Assistant Professor at the University of Helsinki, Katja Valaskivitells Yle that false information – whether intentionally published or not – spreads quickly on social media.
Lies draw people’s attention more effectively than truth, because false stories are usually surprising.
“People who are outside of society or feel they are outside are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. When they are not part of the community, it can be difficult to say what is true and what is disinformation,” Valaskivi says.
Despite the concerns, many Somalis interviewed for this article said they were in favor of Finland joining NATO, as they felt it would guarantee Finland’s security in an unpredictable geopolitical situation.
Hassan Kaafi Halane, the host of the Facebook Live webcast, sums up his thoughts on Finland’s accession to NATO.
“Finland is a small country. Who will come to the rescue if Russia attacks?”