MOGADISHU, Somalia – The National Intelligence and Security Agency [NISA], police and immigration were put together by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, following a litany of complaints involving them in a series of incidents targeting politicians across the country.
The spy agency [NISA], has often been criticized for targeting opposition politicians in a crackdown reportedly sanctioned by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, who has had problems with a number of his critics.
More often than not, opposition leaders have turned away from various airports around the country when traveling to the interior of the country for campaigns, with a number of them failing to obtain tangible reasons. harassment. NISA agents have been linked to the incidents.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Roble ordered NISA, police and immigration officials not to block politicians traveling inside the country on campaigns, adding that he had received a multitude of complaints so far.
“I will no longer tolerate this … if I hear it, I will take the appropriate measures,” said Roble, who is now responsible for conducting elections in Somalia, after a host of politicians accused President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo of ‘”interference”.
Roble insisted that every citizen has the right to travel anywhere inside and outside the country without intimidation, adding that such misconduct derails efforts to promote reconciliation and consensus in Somalia. The country has been in ruins for decades.
“People can go to their constituencies like Garbaharey, in Kismayo and return to Mogadishu,” Mohamed Roble said, adding that he had already received complaints about it, adding that legal action will be taken against those. that prevent citizens from traveling. .
On several occasions, NISA agents have targeted even prominent politicians, including former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who have once or twice banned visits to certain areas.
Previously, such occasions had sparked calls for the resignation of spy agency chief Fahad Yasin, a trusted lieutenant in Farmaajo. The president’s term expired on February 8, but he is expected to face his opponents in delayed elections later in October.
The NISA also faces a slew of complaints ranging from the disappearance of its own staff, critics and even innocent civilians. The agency has struggled to live up to its expectations, especially following the elevation of Fahad Yasin, a former Al-Jazeera journalist with close ties to Qatar.
AXADLETM
