(27-03-23) Mogadishu – Illegal arms trade in Somalia has been thrust into the spotlight after Horufadhi Media uncovered classified documents detailing weapons transfers to terrorist groups Al-Shabaab and ISIL. This discovery comes on the heels of the interception of the Somali-flagged dhow, Marwan I, by the United States 5th Fleet, which led to the seizure of a significant cache of arms.
The United Nations Panel of Experts on Somalia, established under the Security Council, has been actively investigating arms smuggling networks in the region. Their recent findings link the vessel Marwan I to SOMLINK Fisheries Investment Company in Somaliland and its operator, Mr. Mohamed Abdulkadir Mohamoud.
Mohamoud, who also chairs Precision Shipping and Logistic Service in Berbera, has been implicated in these illegal weapons transfers. Further investigation revealed former Somaliland trade minister Omar Shu’ayb as the owner of Precision Logistics and the Marwan I dhow. Shu’ayb is now closely allied with President Muse Bihi Abdi of Somaliland.
The arms cache seized from the Marwan I included one million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 25,000 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, nearly 7,000 proximity fuses for rockets, and over 2,100 kilograms of propellant used to launch rocket-propelled grenades.
These findings highlight the need for increased vigilance and coordination in efforts to combat arms smuggling to terrorist organizations in Somalia. The UN Security Council has reaffirmed the importance of sanctions against individuals and entities associated with Al-Shabaab in resolution 2662 (2022). This resolution emphasizes the need to hold those responsible for supplying, selling, or transferring arms and related material to the group accountable.
As international attention turns to the illegal arms trade in Somalia, continued collaboration between governments, military forces, and intelligence agencies will be crucial in dismantling the smuggling networks that fuel terrorist activities in the region.
Hanad Mohamed
