Dispute Over Spy Chief Could Portend New Power Struggle in Somalia

A fresh political rift between Somalia's president and prime minister appears to be opening a power struggle between the two top leaders of the country, which is struggling to hold elections and prevent frequent terrorist attacks.  

On Monday, Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble suspended Fahad Yasin, chief of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), over failing to provide reliable evidence of investigations into the alleged killing of 24-year-old Ikran Tahlil Farah, who worked in NISA's cybersecurity department.   NISA last week blamed the Islamist militant group al-Shabab for Ikran's death, prompting angry and frustrated posts on social media from Ikran's parents and opposition leaders, who say the agency itself had been involved.    In a statement published Friday on pro-al-Shabab websites, a spokesman for the group said al-Shabab knows nothing about Ikran's alleged killing.