Written by Barkhad Dahir Ismael
Despite the hardships exacerbated by increasing droughts in Somaliland, controversial journalist Mr. Abdirisak Terra has announced he will present his film titled ‘Unrecognised’ at the 5‑Star Serena Savovar Hotel in #Hargeisa.
Tickets are priced at 250 USD for the upper class and 150 USD for other attendees, with a strict new dress code requiring men to wear black suits.
Surprisingly enough, preliminary reports indicate the film was funded by the state treasury, an allegation that has raised eyebrows and fueled public outrage.
In the eyes of many, Terra is seen not as a cultural advocate, but as a traitor, having worked directly for Somalia under former president Mohamed Farmajo, spreading harsh propaganda against Somaliland’s statehood and its legitimate case, while serving the unethical agenda of the N&N team.
After years in exile, Terra returned to Somaliland just days after the election won by President Abdirahman Irro last year; an arrival that itself sparked suspicion and debate about his motives and timing.
The demand for a special dress code, new black suits for men has further intensified criticism.
In a time of economic hardship, when ordinary citizens struggle to afford basic needs, such requirements are seen as elitist and exclusionary, turning a cultural event into a luxury spectacle accessible only to the wealthy groups. Instead of celebrating cinema as a communal art, the dress code symbolizes division and detachment from the realities of the people.
When confronted with criticisms over higher ticket prices, Terra simply responded: “Haddaad rabto in aad hotspot ku daawato, iska sug June 2026,” which literally translates: “If you don’t have money and want to watch it through hotspot connection, please wait until June 2026.”
What was meant to be a film screening has instead become a symbol of exclusion, elitism, and betrayal at a time when ordinary citizens are struggling with drought‑driven scarcity.
Some Facebook users have even taken their criticisms to another level, calling upon the government to arrest him, while others are urging public demonstrations against the screening in front of the hotel.
In daily life, Somalis are interconnected in such a way that society is not structured around economic classes. Therefore, the use of the phrase “upper class” itself has intensified the controversy surrounding Terra’s film. To justify his intentions, he claimed that the 250‑USD tickets had already sold out.
What seemed like a pre‑planned interview by Astaan’s female journalist Nimco Samriye revealed Terra openly stating that the screening was intended only for the so‑called “dabaqadda sare” in Somali, a phrase never before used in Somaliland’s communal discourse, as if to formalize exclusion.
This choice of words has shocked many. In Somaliland, society has never been organized around rigid economic classes.
The introduction of such terminology has only intensified public outcry, as it represents not just elitism, but an imported concept alien to Somaliland’s communal fabric.
Instead of cinema being a unifying art, Terra’s language and framing have turned it into a divisive spectacle, reinforcing the perception that his film is detached from the realities and values of the people.