Sunday June 28, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Former National Intelligence and Security Agency Director Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe has accused Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of targeting him, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire and traditional elders during recent fighting in Mogadishu.
During an interview with local television this week, Sanbaloolshe said the government attacked Khaire’s residence in Mogadishu while he, the chief of the Mursade clan, and other traditional elders were present.
Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallin Fiqi strongly rejected Sanbaloolshe’s claims, describing them as baseless. He accused the former intelligence chief and others of having been involved in actions that threatened national security.
Fiqi said individuals linked to the opposition had been involved in mortar attacks targeting the presidential palace in Mogadishu. He said one of the shells landed near the city’s fuel storage tanks, which he said could have caused a major disaster.
The minister also alleged that the government has information about foreign support and funding received by some of those involved. He said weapons not intended for public use had fallen into their hands.
Fiqi said the government had prevented plans that threatened security and accused opposition figures of trying to portray themselves as victims after their actions were stopped.
Sanbaloolshe later responded in a social media post, saying he viewed the defense minister’s remarks as political intimidation.
He said he and other opposition politicians had faced difficult situations before and would not be deterred by government threats. “Fear does not break people who have already learned to be resilient,” Sanbaloolshe said.
He added that Fiqi’s remarks would not stop them from maintaining their political position.
The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between the federal government and opposition leaders over elections and Somalia’s political direction.
Armed clashes between Somali federal government forces and an opposition-affiliated armed group in Mogadishu earlier this month killed at least 13 people, injured 189 others and displaced about 12,500 households, according to a Protection of Civilians note prepared by the Protection Cluster and UNHCR Somalia.
The report, dated June 4, said the fighting began on the evening of June 3 near Dabka junction before spreading into densely populated areas, including Hawlwadaag, Abdiaziz, Hodan, Wardhigley and parts of Karaan.
The violence intensified concerns over Somalia’s political stability as government officials and opposition leaders remain divided over the country’s electoral process and governance.
