Somalia, a country located in the Horn of Africa, has been struggling with political instability and economic challenges for decades. In recent years, the country has been under the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, who was elected in 2022 second time, However, his administration has been facing several challenges.
One of the major issues that have emerged in Mahmoud’s administration is the persecution of former servants of the previous administration. It is reported that many of these servants have fled the country, fearing for their lives, while others have gone into hiding. Some of them have had their property confiscated, adding insult to injury. The persecution of former servants began with the arrest of Coronel Abdullahi Dheere’s driver, Mr Dheere was the Former Head of NISA Monitoring and Counter-Terrorist and is believed to be a close associate of the former President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmaajo).
The reason for Mr Dheere’s Driver arrest is unclear, but it is reported that it has led to a chain reaction, with other former servants being targeted as well. Some believe that this is an attempt to consolidate power and eliminate any potential opposition to the current administration, this persecution has caused a great deal of instability in the country. Many professionals working in the NISA, who was appointed during the previous administration, have had their salaries suspended and replaced with unqualified servants. This has led to a decline in the quality of services offered by the NISA.
Moreover, the international community has expressed concerns about the situation in NISA, with some donors suspending funding to the Agency. This has further exacerbated the security challenges facing the country and has made it difficult for the government to provide security to its citizens.
The actions of the current administration have drawn criticism from Human Hight Watch when the Parliament passed a bill concerning NISA sweeping powers of arrest, detention, and surveillance with minimal independent oversight https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/24/somalia-revamp-intelligence-agency-bill which have called on the government to respect the rights of all citizens, and the President should not sign this bill said the Human Right Watch, President ignored and sign last week, Mr Dheere knows well said that this will damage President Mahmoud’s reputation and the international cooperation with the Agency It will lead to a decline in the quality of the Agency offered by partners.
By: Farah Ulus
