FALSE: This X post with a purported UN Security alert in Mogadishu is fake

The United Nations office in Somalia has disowned it.

This post on X (formally Twitter) with a graphic claiming that the United Nations (UN) resident at Halane base in Mogadishu has issued a warning that potential terrorist acts may occur in the coming days is FALSE.

“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,” reads the post.

The graphic features the UN logo and claims that some of the areas likely to be targets include Km4 checkpoints, SYL Hotel, Dorbin Hotel, Dabka area, Jazeera Hotel, Liido Beach, Makkah Al-Mukarramah Street, Villa Somalia checkpoints, and NISA (National Intelligence and Security Agency) checkpoints in the capital.

The claim was shared at a time when the security situation in Mogadishu was deteriorating. On August 21 a suicide bombing was reported at a checkpoint near to the capital. Prior to that, another attack happened at Lido Beach, leaving over 30 people dead and others wounded.

To verify the claim, Puntland Mirror reviewed the X and Facebook accounts of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOM) and found this post disowning the screengrab in question.

“The United Nations in Somalia has become aware recently of an alleged UN security report circulating online – this document is false,” UNSOM said.

Further, a Google search did not yield credible results for the alleged alert.

Puntland Mirror examined a post on X with a graphic claiming that the UN resident at Halane base in Mogadishu has issued a warning that potential terrorist acts  may occur in the coming days and found it to be FALSE.

This fact-check was produced by Puntland Mirror 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).