Abdikani Hussein Adam
Mogadishu
Summary
Intelligence and security professional with more than eleven years of experience in Somalia, spanning United Nations field operations, national screening and independent research. Expertise in threat assessment, source verification, security risk management and analytical reporting. Supervised at least 25 staff and led a division that helped rescue more than 200 children recruited by Al-Shabaab. Research covers illicit finance, organised immigration crime, armed-group recruitment and reintegration. Founder of Horn Investigative Files and holder of a master’s degree in Criminology and Security Studies.
Overview
1
1
Certification
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Local Security Assistant
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Mogadishu, Baidoa and Jowhar
12.2022 - Current
- Selected achievements
- Completed more than 10 low-profile missions to Kismayo, Baidoa, Beledweyne and Jowhar during 2022 – 2026, assessing FAO project sites visited by staff and strengthening liaison with state security authorities and local UNDSS personnel.
- Requested security clearances for more than 50 newly recruited FAO national staff through federal and local NISA offices.
- Prepared concepts of operations (CONOPS) for low-profile missions involving more than 30 staff across different locations.
- Prepared CONOPS and led more than 20 high-profile missions involving international personnel from UN agencies and embassies across more than five locations.
- Key responsibilities
- Monitor staff movements, maintain travel records and support field travel clearance requests.
- Maintain security plans, risk management records and warden information under the direction of security focal points.
- Contribute to area security cell meetings, attend area security management meetings as an observer and brief management on security developments.
- Liaise with community leaders and other stakeholders to assess threats to personnel and field operations.
- Monitor security risk management measures and report compliance gaps to security officers and the Head of Office.
- Provide security briefings for personnel and visiting missions, and support emergency drills and preparedness training.
- Identify security equipment, logistical and training requirements; support procurement requests and track implementation.
- Report incidents affecting personnel or assets to security focal points and the Head of Field Office.
Founder and Principal Investigative Researcher
Horn Investigative Files (HiFiles)
Somalia
01.2026 - Current
- Selected achievements
- Wrote and reviewed more than 200 intelligence reports, investigative reports, profiles and situation reports.
- Key responsibilities
- Lead Horn Investigative Files, an independent investigative research and security intelligence platform, and manage 10 staff.
- Investigate Al-Shabaab’s activities and analyse security developments, cross-border threats, organised crime and geopolitical trends in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
- Use open-source information to assess reported airstrikes in southern Somalia and prepare border security assessments, including threats along the Kenya–Somalia border.
- Evaluate source reliability, corroborate information and maintain original research records and supporting evidence for published assessments.
- Publish selected report summaries on hifiles.org and share other outputs with relevant stakeholders.
- Website: www.hifiles.org
Independent Field Intelligence Officer
Research and Development Initiative
Somalia
12.2025 - 06.2026
- Selected achievements
- Submitted 12 detailed research reports with individual interview findings, meeting the research requirements and agreed deadlines.
- Completed 12 source interviews in Somali across two studies, with six interviews per assignment, and translated the accounts into English while preserving their meaning and context.
- Key responsibilities
- Investigated migration facilitation networks and financial mechanisms supporting serious organised immigration crime during the December 2025 assignment.
- Examined Al-Shabaab’s presence, recruitment, governance, financing and community relationships in Cal Madow during the June 2026 assignment.
- Interviewed former Al-Shabaab members, including individuals who had surrendered, and other informed sources, maintaining source confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion.
- Two one-month independent assignments, reporting directly to Mustafa Bananay, Co-founder and Partner.
Field Intelligence Officer
Sahan Research
Somalia
03.2026 - 05.2026
- Selected achievements
- Produced more than 100 intelligence reports, as well as threat assessments and situation reports.
- Key responsibilities
- Collected and analysed intelligence on security threats, organised crime and conflict in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and maritime areas.
- Monitored Al-Shabaab, ISIS in Somalia, the Houthis and other armed groups, assessing threats to communities, humanitarian operations and regional stability.
- Examined piracy, human smuggling and trafficking, arms smuggling, illicit trade and money laundering.
- Maintained confidential source and key informant networks, protected source identities and handled sensitive intelligence with discretion.
- Cross-checked information across sources, assessed reporting reliability and developed early warning analysis to inform management decisions and operational planning.
Independent Research Officer – Somalia
Joanne Richards Consulting
Mogadishu, Somalia
06.2026 - 06.2026
- Selected achievements
- Identified a university research partner specialising in peace and conflict studies, local researchers, translators and access facilitators, as well as photographers, camera operators, artists and animators; completed the assigned facilitation work by 30 June 2026.
- Key responsibilities
- Supported research on participatory approaches to the design and evaluation of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) processes, coordinating research facilitation directly with Joanne Richards.
- Oral History Project in Somalia. Implemented by Joanne Richards Consulting; funded by the Government of Germany through BICC.
Independent Research Officer – Somalia
Joanne Richards Consulting
Mogadishu, Somalia
04.2026 - 05.2026
- Selected achievements
- Delivered the Puntland DDR background report by 15 May 2026.
- Key responsibilities
- Investigated screening, processing and community reintegration arrangements for individuals disengaging from armed groups in Puntland, including the roles of traditional authorities and United Nations agencies.
- Assessed collaboration opportunities with local universities, identified potential partnerships with local researchers and compared reintegration arrangements with those for individuals formerly involved in maritime piracy.
- Puntland DDR background report. Implemented by Joanne Richards Consulting; funded by the Government of Germany through BICC.
Independent Investigator
New York University Center on International Cooperation
Mogadishu and Baidoa, Somalia
05.2024 - 01.2025
- Selected achievements
- Interviewed 60 former Al-Shabaab members about recruitment and its prevention: 30 in Mogadishu and 30 in Baidoa. Conducted the interviews in Somali, translated the accounts into English and submitted a separate report for each participant.
- Completed the assignment by 15 January 2025 under the research agreement signed on 19 May 2024.
- Key responsibilities
- Contributed to research on preventing armed-group recruitment in Somalia with Dr Joanne Richards, enrolling participants and obtaining informed consent in line with the project’s ethical and research requirements.
Head of Child Protection and Screening
Ministry of Internal Security, Federal Government of Somalia
Somalia
04.2022 - 11.2022
- Selected achievements
- Supervised at least 25 staff across the Child Protection Screening and Community Liaison units and led the division as it helped rescue more than 200 children recruited by Al-Shabaab from areas under the group’s control.
- Key responsibilities
- Directed national child protection and screening activities, reporting to the Director of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration; coordinated federal and state teams, with state child protection offices reporting to the division.
- Worked with government authorities, security institutions and international partners to protect children associated with armed groups, overseeing safeguarding before rehabilitation and after reintegration in a UNICEF-supported programme.
- Inspected rehabilitation facilities in Mogadishu, Kismayo, Beledweyne, Dhusamareb and Baidoa, and organised child protection training for federal and state personnel.
Secretary for National Screening and Regional Liaison
Defector Rehabilitation Programme under the National Intelligence and Security Agency
Mogadishu, Somalia
07.2020 - 04.2022
- Key responsibilities
- Coordinated national screening, risk assessment and regional liaison for the rehabilitation programme, supporting the security screening of individuals who had disengaged from Al-Shabaab.
- Reviewed case information and provided recommendations to inform ongoing risk assessments.
- Maintained liaison between programme offices, senior staff and regional counterparts; tracked programme activities and followed up on outstanding operational and administrative actions.
- Maintained programme records and individual case files, protecting confidential case information and sensitive rehabilitation records.
- Coordinated logistical and administrative support for rehabilitation activities.
Head of Screening
National Intelligence and Security Agency, Defector Rehabilitation Programme
Mogadishu, Somalia
07.2017 - 12.2019
- Key responsibilities
- Led security screening of disengaged combatants entering the rehabilitation programme, classified individuals according to assessed risk and supported decisions on admission to rehabilitation or referral to military courts.
- Monitored individuals after admission, tracked their progress through rehabilitation and community reintegration, and coordinated transfers between facilities.
- Analysed Al-Shabaab recruitment patterns and organisational weaknesses to inform efforts to prevent youth recruitment.
Secretary in the Social Security and Political Office
National Intelligence and Security Agency
Mogadishu, Somalia
01.2014 - 07.2017
- Key responsibilities
- Managed daily office administration in support of intelligence and security activities, maintaining security plans and staff rotation records.
- Compiled daily security reports, coordinated source reporting and managed the internal flow of intelligence information.
- Prepared operational plans, including plans for raids and arrests.
- Monitored traditional and social media, tracked political developments and assessed their implications for security operations.
- Communicated security alerts to community contacts, institutions and other stakeholders.
Education
Master’s Degree - Criminology and Security Studies
Green Hope University
Mogadishu, Somalia06-2021
Bachelor’s Degree - Mass Media and Journalism
Daha International University
Mogadishu, Somalia07-2019
Diploma - Project Management
Mogadishu International College
01-2014
Secondary Education Certificate - undefined
Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education
Somalia01-2009
Skills
- Threat assessment and intelligence analysis Source verification and corroboration Security risk management Operational security and movement coordination Incident reporting and situational awareness Security screening and reintegration Open-source research Inter-agency liaison
- Digital skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint; geographic information systems (GIS) Languages: Somali – Native; English – Excellent; Arabic – Working knowledge
Certification
- Field Security Associate (FSA), English | United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) | 18 December 2023.
- Effective Security Writing | UNDSS | 30 March 2025.
- SRM for Security Professionals | UNDSS | 29 June 2023.
- ETA for Security Professionals | UNDSS | 24 June 2023.
- SMT Online | UNDSS | 1 July 2023.
- Orientation Pathway 1 Course | UNDSS | 24 June 2023.
- BSAFE Certificate Validation (English) | UNDSS | 3 July 2023.
- FAO Information Security Essentials Course | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | 15 November 2025.
- Peacekeeping-Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (PKISR) Orientation Path | United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) / Peacekeeping-Intelligence Academy | 20 November 2025.
- Peacekeeping-Intelligence Fundamentals - Part 2 | UNSSC / Peacekeeping-Intelligence Academy | 26 November 2025.
- Peacekeeping-Intelligence Fundamentals - Part 1: Understanding PKI | UNSSC / Peacekeeping-Intelligence Academy | 3 April 2025.
- BBC online English course | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | 29 November 2025.
- Cybersecurity at Work | FAO | 20 January 2023.
- Letters of Agreement at FAO | FAO | 23 January 2023.
- Procurement at FAO | FAO | 31 January 2023.
- Introduction to Manual Section 702 on Cash Transfers | FAO | 21 January 2023.
- INTERPOL Advanced Forensic Training | INTERPOL, Port Louis, Mauritius | 1 July 2019 – 5 July 2019.
- Youth Engagement in Preventing Terrorism and Related Transnational Threats for Somalia | IGAD Security Sector Programme, Jigjiga, Ethiopia | September 2019.
- Development of Child Sensitive Procedures for the National Programme for Disengaged Combatants | Ministry of Internal Security / AMISOM, Mogadishu | 25 November 2019 – 29 November 2019.
- Age Assessment Screening of Children Disengaged from Armed Groups | United Nations / Federal Ministry of Internal Security, Mogadishu | May 2017.
- NISA Screening SOP Workshop | NISA; facilitated by UNSOM-DDR, Mogadishu | 4 July 2017 – 5 July 2017.
- Working Safely | Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), in association with Hybrid-HSE Limited.
- Script Writing for Radio | Somali Media Academy | 14 May 2014.
- Software, A+, Networking, Programming and Accounting Certificate | Zoom Computer Institute (ZOOM IN) | 16 October 2010 – 16 May 2011.
- Software Certificate | Himilo Foundation (HIMFO) | January 2012 – April 2012.
Personal Information
Title: INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS AND OPERATIONAL SECURITY
Disclaimer
I declare that the information in this CV is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I understand that false or misleading information may result in appropriate action. Signature: _______________________ ABDIKANI HUSSEIN ADAM Cabdiqani Xuseen Aadan Date: 1 November 2026 | Position: Field Intelligence and Security Officer
Work Availability
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Accomplishments
- Achieved [Result] by completing [Task] with accuracy and efficiency.
- Supervised team of [Number] staff members.
- Achieved [Result] through effectively helping with [Task].
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
- Author of “[Article Title],” published in [Journal Name] in [Year].
- Documented and resolved [Issue] which led to [Results].
- Collaborated with team of [Number] in the development of [Project name].
Languages
English
Advanced (C1)
Reading, critical thinkg,
Security issues and new learing
Timeline
Independent Research Officer – Somalia
Joanne Richards Consulting
06.2026 - 06.2026
Independent Research Officer – Somalia
Joanne Richards Consulting
04.2026 - 05.2026
Field Intelligence Officer
Sahan Research
03.2026 - 05.2026
Founder and Principal Investigative Researcher
Horn Investigative Files (HiFiles)
01.2026 - Current
Independent Field Intelligence Officer
Research and Development Initiative
12.2025 - 06.2026
Independent Investigator
New York University Center on International Cooperation
05.2024 - 01.2025
Local Security Assistant
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
12.2022 - Current
Head of Child Protection and Screening
Ministry of Internal Security, Federal Government of Somalia
04.2022 - 11.2022
Secretary for National Screening and Regional Liaison
Defector Rehabilitation Programme under the National Intelligence and Security Agency
07.2020 - 04.2022
Head of Screening
National Intelligence and Security Agency, Defector Rehabilitation Programme
07.2017 - 12.2019
Secretary in the Social Security and Political Office
National Intelligence and Security Agency
01.2014 - 07.2017
Secondary Education Certificate - undefined
Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education
Diploma - Project Management
Mogadishu International College
Bachelor’s Degree - Mass Media and Journalism
Daha International University
Master’s Degree - Criminology and Security Studies
Green Hope University