Breaking News: Data Breach in Somalia’s E-Visa System Sparks Major Security Crisis
Mogadishu, Somalia – (Urgent Update) — A critical data breach within Somalia’s electronic visa (e-visa) system has triggered a serious national security crisis, exposing sensitive personal information belonging to foreign diplomats and military officials.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the breach compromised passport details and identification data of several international personnel, including British Lt. Colonel Kathie Knell, an advisor to Somalia’s National Security Advisor Aweys Haji Yusuf (@ONSSomalia).
The leak is reported to affect numerous officials from the United Kingdom, United States, and European Union, raising alarm across diplomatic and defense circles.
Security experts have described the incident as a “catastrophic failure” in digital oversight, warning that the exposed information could place lives and ongoing operations at risk — particularly in a country already battling militant group Al-Shabaab.
Analysts say the breach underscores the dangers of deploying unregulated or poorly secured government systems in fragile states.
Investigations are reportedly underway to determine how the system was compromised and whether the attack was carried out by state or non-state actors.
Update:
Somalia’s E-Visa Breach Exposes 1,600 Colombian Mercenaries Routed to Sudan
According to data extracted from the hacked Somali E-visa system, more than 1,600 Colombian men have entered Somalia since the platform was launched on September 1, 2025.
The leaked records show that these individuals first arrived in Somalia using visas issued by the Mogadishu administration before being quietly rerouted to Sudan, where many later joined RSF forces on the battlefield.
Despite the growing evidence contained in the leaked E-visa applicant database, Interior Minister @AhmedMoFiqicontinues to insist that the government has no knowledge of, and no involvement in, the transport or facilitation of Colombian mercenaries.