PORTLAND, Maine — Maine state Rep. Deqa Dhalac urged Somali-Americans in Maine to pour “our time our money our skills” into Somalia, repeatedly calling Somalia “our country,” while promoting the overseas political campaign of Abdullahi Ali, a former colleague at Gateway Community Services as the embattled nonprofit faces state action, congressional scrutiny, and a Homeland Security visit to its Lewiston office.
In an online post promoting Ali’s campaign, Dhalac told supporters gathered “tonight” that the community should rally behind “our brother Dr. Abdullahi Ali,” not only in Jubbaland but from Maine as well.
“We are all here tonight to support our brother Dr. Abdullahi Ali not only in Jubbaland tonight but everyone here in Maine is also standing with Jubbaland tonight, right?” Dhalac also said “Anyways we should put all of our resources our time our money our skills into helping our country, Somalia we must encourage you people to go there (Somalia) and help the country and for those of us living here, I strongly encourage you to return to Somalia to support and serve our people and country (Somalia).”
Dhalac continued by urging supporters to intensify their involvement, saying travel “back and forth” should happen “more often” and that investment should focus on “education building confidence and development.” She closed with a call to organize around Ali’s candidacy.
“Once again, I ask you to stand with our brother Abdullahi,” she wrote. “Stand by his side and support him as our brother Yusuf Yusuf said Abdullahi needs us today and this is only the beginning, he is the only candidate today, but there is so much ahead, we must promote his website organize around him and show people back in Somalia that Abdullahi is not alone we’re all standing behind him.”
The repeated references to Somalia as “our country” come from a sitting Maine state representative, an elected official whose job is to represent constituents in Maine — even as the post pushes supporters in this state to redirect resources and, in some cases, return overseas.
Dhalac previously worked with Ali at Gateway Community Services. Both are under investigation by the congressional Oversight Committee led by U.S. Rep. James Comer (R).
In a separate video, Ali is quoted as describing potential military action in Jubba and, saying: “Whenever we choose to launch a military operation (against Madobe) we’ll rely on the armed groups and civilians in Jubba and to mobilize when we need so.” He added: “Again when we decide to attack, we have fighting forces and armed civilians, we won’t worry about those, we got them.”
Ali has also bragged about how he used funds to fund his campaign and purchase “we are ready,” according to the information provided.
The political organizing and overseas rhetoric arrive as Gateway Community Services has closed its offices and Maine DHHS has stopped funding the organization, and after Homeland Security recently was at the Lewiston office. The Maine Wire was at the Lewiston office when Homeland Security arrived to serve a warrant. Tuesday evening, after months of silence Maine Governor Janet Mills said she supports a “full investigation.”
