What Does the Photo Reveal? Somali and Ethiopian Intelligence Chiefs Meet in Addis Amid Rising Tensions

Addis Ababa (GO) – A photo circulating on social media Sunday shows Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) Director, Mahad Mohamed Salad, meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart, Redwan Hussein, in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

In the photo, Mahad Salad is seen speaking, while Redwan listens attentively, his arms folded across his chest. According to body language experts, this posture—crossed arms while listening—often signals caution, evaluation, or a reserved stance, particularly in high-stakes discussions. It can indicate that the listener has yet to be persuaded or reach a definitive conclusion.

The meeting between the two intelligence chiefs comes on the same day that the militant group al-Shabaab reportedly seized control of a strategically important area previously used to defend the Hiiraan and Mudug regions. The capture underscores the growing threat posed by the group and the increasing urgency for coordinated regional intelligence cooperation.

The Addis Ababa visit by NISA chief Mahad Salad accompanies Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s trip to Ethiopia, which follows a recent high-level visit to Egypt. During that visit, the Somali delegation met with top Egyptian officials, including security and intelligence figures.

Sources close to Villa Somalia told Garowe Online that President Mohamud’s current visit to Ethiopia is unrelated to the United Nations Food Systems Summit, but is instead part of a quiet diplomatic effort to mend deteriorating relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa. It is not the first time the president has made back-to-back visits to both Cairo and Addis Ababa within a short time frame.

The diplomatic tension comes amid a broader geopolitical rift between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River. That dispute has strained relations between the two regional powers, with speculation now mounting over the implications of Somalia’s engagement with both governments—especially at a time of heightened sensitivities.

GAROWE ONLINE