Reliable sources report that Mahmoud Macalin Abdulle, the Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA), is facing serious allegations of large-scale corruption. The accusations suggest that his actions have severely compromised the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid that SODMA was responsible for distributing to vulnerable Somali communities.
According to information obtained from credible insiders, Abdulle is accused of misappropriating relief supplies intended for people affected by droughts, floods, and those recently liberated from extremist-controlled areas in federal member states such as Hirshabelle and Galmudug.
Investigative findings further reveal that Abdulle has used the misappropriated aid to establish a vast personal business empire both within Somalia and abroad. He is also alleged to have acquired numerous real estate properties using funds and resources meant to support suffering Somali citizens.
This corruption scandal has reportedly strained and, in some cases, severed the working relationship between SODMA and regional disaster and humanitarian ministries, particularly in Hirshabelle and Galmudug, further hampering aid coordination and emergency response.
The scandal became public just two days ago when residents of Moqokori district, alongside officials from the Hiiraan regional administration, publicly refused to accept several cartons of medicine offered by SODMA. The community rejected the aid in protest, accusing Abdulle of systematically looting relief supplies intended for Hiiraan and the broader Hirshabelle.
There is growing concern that this may be just the tip of the iceberg and that deeper, more systemic corruption exists within SODMA. If proven, this could deal a significant blow to the credibility of Somalia’s Federal Government and Mahmoud Macalin Abdulle in particular. It may also discourage international humanitarian partners and donors from continuing their cooperation with agencies involved in misappropriating aid meant for the Somali people.
