Mogadishu (Caasimada Online) – Somalia’s influential National Security Advisor, Hussein Sheikh Ali, has been dismissed from his post, sources said Monday — a move that threatens to destabilize the government amid a burgeoning scandal over a seized weapons shipment and deepening political rifts.
The removal, reportedly conveyed directly to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has not been officially announced. Sources close to the presidency, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed that Ali was relieved of his duties after Puntland authorities intercepted a vessel carrying undeclared military hardware, details of which remain opaque.
Ali’s sacking follows growing scrutiny over the arms seizure last Friday by maritime forces from Puntland, a semi-autonomous member state. The incident has triggered a political firestorm in Mogadishu, undermining the federal government’s authority.
The departure of a key architect of Somalia’s national security policy would deal a significant blow to an administration already navigating a multi-front crisis, including a diplomatic standoff with Ethiopia and a brutal offensive against Islamist militants.
Embarrassment after embargo triumph
The arms controversy is a major embarrassment for the government and Ali personally. He was widely credited as the driving force behind the United Nations Security Council’s decision in December 2023 to lift the 31-year-old arms embargo on Somalia fully.
That diplomatic victory was intended to bolster the Somali National Army’s (SNA) capabilities in its fight against the al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabaab group. However, the discovery of this undeclared shipment now fuels international concerns about weapons management and could strain relations with security partners.
Puntland, which has a fraught relationship with Mogadishu over issues of autonomy and power, has not disclosed the origins of the vessel or the intended recipient of its cargo.
Ali’s dismissal comes against a backdrop of mounting internal and external pressures.
For months, his office has managed the diplomatic fallout from a contentious port access deal signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland, a breakaway region that Mogadishu still claims as its own.
Simultaneously, the administration is struggling with domestic political fractures. Tensions have reignited in the strategic Gedo region, a persistent flashpoint in the power struggle between the federal government and the leadership of Jubaland state.
Mogadishu’s recent deployment of federal forces to Gedo, coupled with the controversial appointment of Abdirashid Janan, a commander once designated a fugitive, as a regional intelligence chief, is viewed by opponents as an aggressive move to centralize power and has dangerously heightened local tensions.
A veteran strategist, Hussein Sheikh Ali has been a central figure in Somali security policy for years, serving as a close confidant to President Mohamud. He also briefly held the same advisory role under the previous administration before resigning.
His dismissal comes at a time when nearly all of the security initiatives under his leadership had stalled, with little progress made — compounding the challenges now facing the federal government.
His departure strips the administration of its chief security strategist at a moment of extreme vulnerability. It creates a leadership vacuum as Somalia confronts the persistent threat from al-Shabaab and navigates a volatile regional political environment.