The KGB infiltrated the political and military apparatuses of number of developing countries. Vasili Mitrokhin a KGB archivist defected in 1992 & the collection of intel archives he brought are among the most extensive ever. This thread is on the KGBâs operations in Somalia
During the 1960s, Somalia sent hundredsof military officers to the Soviet Union, Italy and other advanced countries for training & military education.
In the Soviet Union, number of Somali officers were trained at the prestigious Frunze Military Academy. It was here where the KGB recruited Somali officers. Among them was a senior Somali officer & future member of the ruling military junta codenamed âKERLâ
The senior Somali officer codenamed âKERLâ was a key contact for the KGB and used to execute strategic & operational objectives. So important was âKERLâ to the Soviets, that he had direct access to the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and the KGBâs Vice-chairman Semyon Tsvigun.
When Qaddafi came to Mogadishu a year after he took power in Libya, the Soviets tapped âKERLâ to execute what it termed as an âinfluence operationâ and shape his views on the Soviet Union. âKERLâ was also used to scuttle US interests in Somalia such as the of port of Berbera
But âKERLâ was also used to smuggle sensitive American & Western technologies to the Soviet Union. These equipment generally obtained from Italy ultimately made their way to the Soviet Union.
To this date, itâs not clear who âKERLâ was â except that he was part of the ruling communist council and a close associate of the dictator. What motivated âKERLâ is also a subject of intrigue as the Soviets concluded that he was motivated in part by an ideology and part money.
Itâs also interesting that the Soviets didnât consider him to be a KGB agent like other Somali officers.
But KERLâs operations and the KGB attempts and methods to cultivate agents in Somalia have fascinating congruences to events today in Somalia where Ethiopia, Qatar, EU, UAE among others are believed to have recruited willing accomplices for further their objectives.
Today number of competing powers train Somaliaâs military and some like Eritrea, UAE & Qatar are strongly believed to have compromised Somali officers to varying degrees with the Qatarâs being the most nefarious.
In fact, much like the Soviet Union, the Qataris have made the Somali Intelligence Agency the prime target of their clandestine operations. The current @HSNQ_NISA DG Fahad Yassin, a former Al Jazeera Arabic journalist has been identified by the UN as Qatari intermediary
Qatar has purchased surveillance and communication interception equipment for the current govât in order to eliminate the space for political opposition & muzzle free media. Qatar also provides monthly undocumented budget to @HSNQ_NISA for more info see here
If interested in other Soviet operations in Somalia, see here
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