Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab weakened by mistrust in intelligence sharing, ex-spy boss says
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s former intelligence chief, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbalolshe, says deep mistrust continues to undermine cooperation between the country’s spy agency and its international partners. In an interview with Geed Fadhi Podcast, Sanbalolshe explained that while Somalia does share information with foreign intelligence services — including those of the United States — the […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s former intelligence chief, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbalolshe, says deep mistrust continues to undermine cooperation between the country’s spy agency and its international partners.
In an interview with Geed Fadhi Podcast, Sanbalolshe explained that while Somalia does share information with foreign intelligence services — including those of the United States — the level of collaboration remains limited and falls short of what is needed. According to him, the core issue is a lack of trust, driven largely by concerns over infiltration and the risks associated with closer coordination.
He noted that international agencies are reluctant to fully share intelligence with their Somali counterparts. At the same time, Somalia is still in the process of strengthening its own internal intelligence capabilities, creating an imbalance that further complicates cooperation.
Sanbalolshe also pointed to a broader security challenge. Despite decades of international military, political and financial support, Somalia’s forces are still not capable of independently battling Al-Shabaab. The militant group, widely regarded by experts as Al-Qaida’s most powerful, resilient and well-funded affiliate, continues to pose a significant threat.
His remarks come a year after Al-Shabaab launched a swift counteroffensive in central Somalia, reversing many of the gains made by Somali forces and their allies. Those earlier advances had followed a series of operations in mid-2022, raising hopes of sustained progress before being eroded by the militant group’s resurgence.
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