Federal government: ministries and agencies
Ministry of Internal Security of Somalia: what it does
Somalia's federal Ministry of Internal Security oversees the Somali Police Force, the National Intelligence and Security Agency and the immigration agency, and coordinates security with the member states. General Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag has been minister since April 2024. Its budget head, which includes the police and NISA, is US$86.3 million for 2026 and a proposed US$90.0 million for 2027.
What it does
The Ministry of Internal Security is the federal body that oversees policing and internal security. In the federal budget it is listed as the "Ministry of National Security", and the bodies paid through it are (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):
- the Somali Police Force, see Somali Police Force;
- the National Security Force, meaning the National Intelligence and Security Agency, see NISA;
- the Immigration Department, see Immigration and Citizenship Agency.
Its reported work in 2026 includes running the Joint Police Programme with international partners, training police units such as the Darawiish, airport and border security, and maritime security cooperation (Ministry of Internal Security, news; Radio Dalsan).
Who leads it
General Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail (Fartaag) was appointed minister by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre in April 2024. The ministry's biography says he studied at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy, led the reorganisation of the Somali National Army from 2001 to 2004, commanded the army's 60th Division in Dollow, Gedo, from 2011 to 2013, was Vice-President of Jubaland from 2013 to 2016, and has been a senator for Gedo in the Upper House since 2016 (Ministry of Internal Security, The Minister). The deputy minister in July 2026 was General Sulub Ahmed Firin (Ministry of Internal Security, July 2026). The Director General is Mohamed Hassan Shire (Ministry of Internal Security).
The money
From the federal budget (Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted):
| Line | 2025 actual (US$) | 2026 budget (US$) | 2027 proposed (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry | 1,290,681 | 1,602,689 | 1,717,109 |
| Police Force | 49,829,412 | 49,681,986 | 49,681,986 |
| National Security Force (NISA) | 36,691,927 | 28,466,720 | 32,066,720 |
| Immigration Department | 6,402,282 | 6,535,639 | 6,498,439 |
| Total | 94,214,301 | 86,287,034 | 89,964,254 |
Security companies pay a licence fee to the government; it raised US$5,840 in 2025, and the budget expects just over US$1 million in 2027 (same source).
What it reports doing
- Joint Police Programme: in January 2026 the minister opened a meeting on phase II of the programme, which pays for police with donor support (Radio Dalsan; SONNA).
- Police training: it closed training for the fifth group of the Darawiish police force (Ministry of Internal Security).
- Interpol: the minister met senior Interpol officials on cross-border crime and attended Interpol's 93rd General Assembly (SONNA; SONNA).
- Partners: he met the AU special envoy on security and counter-terrorism in March 2026 and the Republic of Korea's ambassador on maritime security in July 2026 (SONNA; MoIS).
- Mogadishu: the minister said Mogadishu was "safer than ever", citing progress against al-Shabaab (SONNA).
- Monthly reports: the ministry publishes a newsletter (MoIS Newsletter, June 2026).
How the work is shared
Each member state has its own security ministry and police. In June 2026 the ministry held a federal and state security consultation conference (Ministry of Internal Security). For the forces, see Somali Police Force, Puntland's security forces and Jubaland's security forces. Defence is a separate ministry: see Ministry of Defence.
Its legal basis
The ministry's mandate from the Council of Ministers under the 2012 Provisional Constitution, as amended in 2024 and 2026, and the police and NISA laws.
Sources
- Appropriation Act for 2027, as submitted · mof.gov.so
- Ministry of Internal Security, news · mois.gov.so
- Radio Dalsan · radiodalsan.com
- Ministry of Internal Security, The Minister · mois.gov.so
- Ministry of Internal Security, July 2026 · mois.gov.so
- Ministry of Internal Security · mois.gov.so
- SONNA · preview.sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- SONNA · sonna.so
- MoIS Newsletter, June 2026 · mois.gov.so
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Where this matters
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- The Federal Government of Somalia: how it is organisedHow Somalia's federal government is built: its history since 2012, its branches, ministries, agencies and independent offices, how it relates to the member states, its staff and budget, and where to find each part.
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