Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Directorate (HSJ) has confirmed that data belonging to some travellers who used the recently introduced E-TAS system was compromised in a cyberattack.
In a statement late Sunday, the agency said the E-TAS platform had been targeted in an “unauthorised breach,” prompting officials to immediately suspend the system and launch an urgent investigation to limit potential damage.
“The government of Somalia has assigned special priority to this matter, establishing a national-level investigation committee composed of security agencies, international forensic experts and relevant state institutions responsible for data protection,” HSJ said.
The directorate added that a full report detailing verified findings and corrective measures will be released once the formal investigation concludes.
“HSJ deeply regrets this incident and reiterates that protecting citizens’ data and national services remains our highest priority,” the statement said.
The disclosure comes days after the United States revealed that data from tens of thousands of passengers — both Somali nationals and foreigners — had been hacked, a revelation that has sparked widespread discussion across Somali social media in recent days.
