Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — The United States Embassy in Somalia has issued a security alert, saying it has received “credible allegations” that unidentified hackers breached the country’s new e-visa system.Â
The attack may have exposed the personal data of at least 35,000 travelers, including thousands of U.S. citizens.
The security scare comes as the e-visa system is already at the center of a growing political and airspace dispute.
The federal government in Mogadishu and the authorities in Somaliland are issuing conflicting orders to international airlines. As a result, both carriers and passengers are facing confusion and disruption.
A ‘credible’ data breach
The U.S. Embassy alert, issued on November 13, 2025, warns of a hack that took place on or around November 11.
According to the embassy, “Leaked data from the breach included visa applicants’ names, photos, dates and places of birth, email addresses, marital status, and home addresses.”
The embassy said it was “unable to confirm whether an individual’s data is part of the breach.” However, it issued a clear warning that “individuals who have applied for a Somali e-visa may be affected.”
Hackers calling themselves “Operation Birjeex 2025” have reportedly claimed responsibility. Regional media outlets said the group, whose name refers to a former Somaliland opposition movement, framed the attack as a political protest against the federal government.
The U.S. government has advised its citizens to “stay tuned to announcements from the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency on the e-visa system.” It also directed travelers to resources on data breaches from the Federal Trade Commission.
A deepening airspace dispute
The data breach adds pressure to a separate crisis over who controls the e-visa system. The federal system, launched on September 1, 2025, has been forcefully rejected by Somaliland, which operates as a de facto independent state.
In recent weeks, the dispute has turned into a direct challenge for international airlines.
On October 31, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) in Mogadishu sent a formal warning to airlines, including Flydubai.Â
The letter ordered the airline to stop boarding passengers to Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, if they did not have the new federal e-visa.
The SCAA letter described the order as a matter of “border control and national security procedures.”Â
It threatened airlines with “financial penalties” and the “suspension of flight operations” if they failed to comply.
Somaliland issues a counter-order
In a direct response, Somaliland’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports (MOCAAD) issued its own decree on November 2.
The Hargeisa-based ministry declared that all aircraft must obtain a specific “Overflight Permit” from Somaliland authorities before entering its airspace, effective November 10.
Citing the 1944 Chicago Convention, Somaliland’s government stated it “has complete authority and sovereignty over its territory, sea, and air.”
This standoff puts international carriers in a difficult position, caught between two competing administrations. Flydubai did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For decades after Somalia’s central government collapsed in 1991, the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) managed the country’s airspace from Nairobi.Â
In 2018, the ICAO transferred control back to the federal government in Mogadishu. Somaliland fiercely opposed the move, pointing to failed power-sharing talks that had proposed joint airspace management.
The new e-visa system was meant to modernize Somalia’s border controls. Instead, it now sits at the heart of two major crises.
The federal government faces growing pressure to secure its digital infrastructure against hackers. At the same time, it must navigate a political conflict that risks disrupting or even shutting down international air travel to parts of the country.
