By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — The Somali government has launched an investigation into claims that some foreign diplomats based inside Mogadishu’s heavily fortified Halane compound may have been involved in a major cyberattack that compromised the country’s E-visa system, according to a report by Sky News Arabic.
The breach, described as one of the most serious digital security failures in recent years, resulted in the theft of all data submitted by applicants through Somalia’s online visa platform. The incident has forced the entire E-visa system to shut down, leaving authorities struggling to determine the scale of the damage and how to restore normal operations.
Sky News Arabic reports that Somali officials are in a state of confusion and mounting pressure as they try to understand how the system was infiltrated and who was behind the attack. The alleged involvement of individuals connected to foreign diplomatic missions has added a sensitive political dimension to the investigation.
More than 35,000 people are said to have been affected, with their personal information accessed or stolen. The government has yet to issue an official statement on the breach, and it remains unclear who is responsible or what the motive may have been.
According to the report, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration has been shaken by the incident, struggling to find a clear path forward amid what sources described as “a severe technical and political crisis.”
The allegations come as Somalia continues efforts to modernise its immigration systems and strengthen cybersecurity across government institutions.
The government is expected to face growing public pressure to explain the breach, identify the perpetrators, and implement measures to protect sensitive data going forward.
