🔗 Share this article American and British Alert of Major E-Visa Data Breach in Federal Republic of Somalia Government Residence Roughly 35,000 people might be affected, warns the American embassy A substantial security compromise in Somalia's e-visa platform potentially disclosed personal information belonging to numerous thousands of travelers, comprising American nationals, the United States diplomatic mission in Somalia has alerted. The embassy reported gathered credible reports that "unidentified hackers" breached the Mogadishu administration's digital visa application portal, potentially compromising information belonging to approximately 35,000 applicants. The compromised files circulating online comprise full names, photographs, dates of birth, relationship status, place of residence and email contacts, per a American diplomatic communication published on Thursday. "This data breach continues to occur and could expose all private information submitted to the application portal," British authorities has similarly alerted travellers. "Consider the risks when considering application for a digital visa mandatory for travel to the Federal Republic." Government Response Federal administration representatives have not issued statements on the breach. However the government has shifted visa processing from evisa.gov.so to the new system the updated platform, without providing an official explanation. "Even though the US Embassy in Mogadishu cannot verify if personal information is part of the compromise, travelers who have requested visas for a Somali e-visa might be compromised," the American announcement declared. Territorial Consequences The updated visa process mandates every visitor, comprising individuals from the independently governed area of Somaliland and the self-governing territory of the autonomous state, to seek entry visas via electronic platforms. Critics say visitors have encountered extra fees in specific areas, totaling duplicate payments. Political Context The self-declared republic, which declared independence in the early nineties, manages its territory with its own institutions yet hasn't received global recognition. Mogadishu authorities maintains that this territory continues to belong to its sovereign territory. The claimed security incident adds to long-running tensions between Mogadishu and Hargeisa concerning jurisdiction of national air territory. Although Mogadishu regained total jurisdiction of national aviation space in the past decade, Somaliland persistently challenges the arrangement. Current Developments The disagreement escalated further this week when the northern region's leader Abdirahman Irro said the breakaway region would not accept the federal e-visa system and directed that aviation companies need to acquire permission from Hargeisa prior to accessing the region's aviation space. Yet major airlines have chosen not to board passengers without Mogadishu's electronic permit. Recently, the northern region's top diplomat the diplomatic representative reiterated that "all visitors to the northern territory should receive travel authorization upon landing", declaring Somalia's e-visa system was not safe and alerting that "individual details can fall into extremist organizations" because of utilizing the system. Aviation Challenges The conflict has caused certain visitors heading to Somaliland unable to board flights after being denied boarding due to absence of the federal electronic visa. The northern region's aviation official, the aviation minister, has informed journalistic entities that the instructions - first announced previously - came into effect on 10 November. He said companies that ignore will be told to divert, and claimed several aircraft had been forced to change paths. Airspace Control Conflict Video evidence published by Somaliland's aviation ministry seems to demonstrate regional aviation officials providing guidance to international pilots - a development celebrated domestically as a confirmation of Somaliland's autonomy. Nevertheless Mogadishu's air transport department maintains it possesses exclusive regulatory authority over the national airspace information zone (aviation control zone), that includes the entire country's aviation space. Officials have directed each flight to pay no attention to any guidance coming from entities except federal authorities. Authorities alerted that failing to comply with Somali and international aviation rules could pose security threats and result in "serious legal consequences".