MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s former National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) chief, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali, known widely as Sanbaloolshe, has blasted Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi for remarks aimed at opposition politicians, accusing the government of leaning on political intimidation.
In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, Sanbaloolshe said the minister’s comments were meant to pressure political rivals, insisting that he and other opposition figures had already weathered far tougher circumstances and would not be shaken by threats from the government.
“Fear does not break people who have already learned resilience,” Sanbaloolshe said, arguing that Fiqi’s remarks would not force the opposition to abandon its political position.
His criticism followed Fiqi’s assertion that the government had shown “leniency” toward some opposition figures, while accusing them of trying to stir unrest and instability in the capital, Mogadishu.
The confrontation is the latest in a widening political rift between Somalia’s federal government and several opposition leaders, who remain at odds over electoral arrangements and the country’s broader political future.
AXADLETM
