Somalia’s Defence Minister Says eVisa System Is Key to Blocking IS Militants From the Country

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Minister of Defence, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, says the rollout of the electronic visa (eVisa) system has become an important pillar of national security, especially in preventing members of the Islamic State group from entering Puntland and Somaliland.

Speaking about migration and security, Fiqi underlined that the system does not inconvenience ordinary travellers. He described it as a modern tool that streamlines entry into the country while strengthening the government’s ability to track and vet arrivals.

“The country’s constitution was drafted under former Puntland President Faroole. It granted the Federal Government four key powers, and migration is one of them. No one is being harmed by the eVisa. Since we introduced it, not a single IS operative has landed in Puntland or Somaliland. The country is protected,” he said.

He added that since the system went live, security agencies have been able to detect and block individuals linked to threats—people who, without the digital checks, might have entered Somalia with ease.

Despite the controversy surrounding eVisa, Fiqi did not address the recent breach that dominated public discussion on social media. The incident exposed gaps in the system’s security architecture after visa data was compromised and circulated online, prompting concerns about possible insider involvement and vulnerabilities in Somalia’s immigration infrastructure. The Federal Government has since launched investigations, while critics argued that the breach undermined the system’s integrity. The minister made no reference to the matter during his comments.

The eVisa system falls under federal authority, as outlined in the constitution. But Puntland and Somaliland have strongly rejected its implementation, saying they do not trust the Federal Government—even questioning its ability to manage Somalia’s airspace. Their position reflects deeper political disagreements over jurisdiction, federal powers, and autonomy.