Somali President reinstates former Mogadishu intelligence chief’s rank and benefits

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Monday reinstated the military rank and full entitlements of Colonel Ibrahim Moalim Abdullahi, a former Mogadishu intelligence chief with the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).

The presidential decree, issued from Villa Somalia, restores Abdullahi’s rank and benefits that were revoked during the administration of former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo. Villa Somalia said the decision was based on a legal review under Articles 87 and 90 of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution and a 2023 law governing the intelligence agency, according to an official statement.

“Colonel Abdullahi is entitled to all rights and privileges granted under the law, effective immediately,” the statement read. “This decree nullifies any prior decisions or orders that removed his status.”

The reinstatement follows a formal request from Abdullahi, who petitioned President Mohamud to reverse the previous administration’s decision. He was dismissed from his duties as the Mogadishu station chief on March 3, 2020, by then-NISA Director Fahad Yasin, during what was described as a politically charged period within the Somali government. The specific reasons for his dismissal were not publicly disclosed, but Abdullahi described it as part of Farmaajo’s wider effort to sideline officials who were perceived as disloyal.

Following Abdullahi’s removal, there were rapid leadership changes within NISA. Isse Mohamed Isse was appointed acting chief of Mogadishu’s NISA station. A month later, Yasin Abdullahi Farey, who previously served as Fahad Yasin’s head of security, was appointed to lead the Mogadishu station.

Colonel Abdullahi is expected to resume duties within NISA, though it remains unclear whether he will return to his previous role or assume a new position. His reinstatement may pave the way for other dismissed officials to seek similar outcomes under Mohamud’s administration.