Government Residence
A major data breach in the Federal Republic of Somalia's electronic visa system could have revealed personal information belonging to many thousands of individuals, involving American nationals, the US embassy in Somalia has warned.
The embassy reported obtained reliable information that "anonymous digital intruders" compromised the Mogadishu administration's digital visa application portal, possibly exposing information belonging to at least 35,000 individuals.
The compromised files circulating online comprise full names, photos, date of birth information, marital status, place of residence and electronic mail addresses, as stated in a US embassy statement issued on Thursday.
"This security incident is ongoing and potentially disclose all private information provided to this platform," the UK has also warned visitors.
"Evaluate the dangers when considering application for an e-visa mandatory for visiting the Federal Republic."
Government Response
Somali authorities have not commented regarding the incident. Nevertheless authorities has transferred visa application system away from the initial application portal toward etas.gov.so, without offering a formal statement.
"While Embassy Mogadishu cannot verify if personal information belongs to the breach, people who have submitted applications through the electronic visa system might be compromised," the US' statement said.
Territorial Consequences
The revised application procedure requires each person traveling, including those from the self-declared republic of the breakaway region and the self-governing territory of Puntland, to seek travel visas through digital means.
Critics say travellers have faced supplementary costs in specific areas, amounting to double charges.
Political Context
The northern territory, which declared independence in 1991, administers its affairs through independent structures yet hasn't received worldwide acceptance. The Federal Government asserts that this territory remains part of its national domain.
The alleged breach adds to persistent conflicts between Somali federal authorities and Hargeisa concerning jurisdiction of Somali airspace. Even though Mogadishu regained full control of territorial skies in 2017, Somaliland continues to contest the current system.
Current Developments
The disagreement escalated further in recent days as the northern region's leader Abdirahman Irro stated the breakaway region would reject Mogadishu's electronic visa and ordered that airlines need to acquire authorization from Hargeisa before entering their territorial skies.
Yet prominent aviation companies have declined to process individuals lacking Somalia's e-visa approval.
Recently, the northern region's top diplomat the foreign minister again insisted that "anyone travelling to Somaliland can acquire entry permission on arrival", declaring the federal electronic visa platform was not safe and cautioning that "individual details could be accessed by extremist organizations" as a result of using it.
Travel Disruptions
The stand-off has caused certain visitors heading to the northern region stuck in transit hubs after being denied boarding because they didn't have the federal electronic visa.
Somaliland's Civil Aviation Minister, the transport official, has stated to journalistic entities that the directives - initially declared in recent months - became operational on November 10th.
He said airlines that do not comply would be instructed to reroute, and asserted multiple planes were previously redirected.
Airspace Control Conflict
Footage distributed by Hargeisa's civil aviation authority appears to show territorial flight directors giving directions to global airline crews - an action applauded locally as an assertion of Somaliland's autonomy.
However the federal aviation regulator insists it retains sole administrative and legal control over the national airspace information zone (aviation control zone), encompassing all territorial skies. Officials have directed every plane to disregard any guidance provided by entities except Mogadishu.
Officials cautioned that ignoring national and worldwide air transport standards could create safety risks and lead to "major judicial outcomes".
