MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is preparing a sweeping overhaul of the country’s security leadership following the recent loss of the strategic town of Adan Yabal to Al-Shabaab militants.
President Mohamud is poised to reinstate former intelligence chief Mahad Salad as director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), replacing the current head, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali “Sanbalolshe.” Salad, who previously led the agency, is seen as a trusted ally of the president with deep ties to key security stakeholders.
The president also plans to reinstall former land forces commander Mohamed Tahlil Bihi and is expected to dismiss a number of senior and mid-ranking military officers, in a bid to restore morale within the armed forces and reverse setbacks in the fight against the al Qaeda-linked militant group.
The shake-up follows a humiliating retreat from Adan Yabal, a key town in central Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, where Al-Shabaab launched a surprise attack last week, reclaiming territory previously wrested from the group in a high-profile government campaign.
According to local media reports, the president is also weighing a tactical withdrawal from several besieged towns in the central regions, including Moqokori, El-Dher, and Mesagawa, amid fears of further casualties and loss of military assets.
While the planned restructuring is aimed at revitalizing Somalia’s counterinsurgency operations, security analysts warn that abrupt leadership changes could sow confusion within the ranks and risk undermining cohesion at a critical juncture in the war against Al-Shabaab.
Changes at the top must be matched by improvements in command coordination, logistics, and political unity, analysts say, cautioning that cosmetic shifts without structural reform may prove counterproductive.
Al-Shabaab, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and many other governments, has intensified attacks in recent months, exploiting divisions within Somalia’s political and military leadership.
President Mohamud, who returned to power in 2022 promising to eradicate the insurgency, now faces mounting pressure to recalibrate strategy and deliver tangible security gains amid a volatile and complex battlefield.
COMMENTS