Somalia’s Intelligence Agency Faces Internal Collapse Amid Political Power Struggle

MOGADISHU (GO) – Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) is reportedly on the brink of internal collapse, following an escalating political dispute within the federal government’s top leadership.

Reliable sources speaking to Garowe Online revealed that the agency, currently headed by Abdullahi Mohamed Ali “Sanbaloolshe,” is grappling with a deepening internal crisis sparked by a failed political maneuver by Villa Somalia — the seat of the Presidency — to reinstate former director Mahad Salad to the helm of NISA.

Mahad Salad, who previously led the agency, is said to have re-engaged in direct interference with NISA’s operations after the move to remove Sanbaloolshe stalled. As a result, the agency has seen a slowdown in its day-to-day functions, with multiple senior officers reportedly refusing to take orders from the current director.

Security sources confirm that Sanbaloolshe is currently away from the capital, overseeing a military operation in the Hiraan region. His absence has allowed loyalists of Mahad Salad to quietly take over several key internal operations, further undermining the official chain of command.

The growing division within NISA came to the fore recently when a group of journalists were briefly detained in Mogadishu. According to multiple reports, the arrest was carried out without the knowledge or approval of Director Sanbaloolshe, allegedly on orders from officers aligned with Mahad Salad.

Over the past several years, NISA has increasingly become politicized, with its leadership consistently aligned with Villa Somalia. Since 2017, most of the agency’s directors have been political allies of the presidency, a trend critics say has eroded its neutrality and professionalism in national security matters.

Analysts warn that if the current internal rift remains unresolved, it could severely compromise Somalia’s security operations and lead to a full-blown institutional split within NISA — a development that would carry serious national security implications.

GAROWE ONLINE