Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been identified as a central figure in an illicit arms network, following the seizure of a large cache of weapons by local militia in Abudwaq town this week.
On Monday, the Marehan clan militia in central Somalia intercepted the largest ever cache of weapons and ammunition entering Somalia from the Ethiopian border.
The two truckloads contained thousands of Rocket Propelled Grenades, PK Machine guns, Dshk anti-aircraft guns, mortars, AK-47 rifles, sniper guns, pistols, and a significant amount of ammunition.
Clan elders and local officials in Abudwaq, part of Galmudug State, revealed that the militia seized the weapons from Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) agents escorting the illicit shipment.
Galmudug’s Deputy Minister of Security, Ali Bashe, stated that sub-clans in Abudwaq divided the seized weapons and some were reportedly resold to local arms dealers.
Social media was awash with photos of civilians, including women and children, brandishing brand new AK-47 rifles, pistols, and even sniper guns. Prices of AK-47s have dropped more than tenfold in the black market in southern and central Somalia since Monday.
“One woman got about 30 new pistols and sub-divided to her family members,” Ali Bashe said.
It has emerged that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the mastermind behind this illegal arms trade.
Two weeks prior, the President traveled to Wargaadhi in the Middle Shabelle region, where he met with clan militia alongside his business partner Abdinasir Ali Mohamud, also known as Abdinasir Adoon. Adoon, under U.S. Treasury sanctions for financing Houthi militia activities in Yemen, is from the same sub-clan as President Hassan Sheikh. During this meeting, plans to procure weapons and ammunition were discussed.
In discussions with the Abgaal sub-clans, President Hassan Sheikh promised to supply weapons and ammunition. Abdinasir Ali Adoon and President Hassan’s son, Abdifatah Hassan Sheikh, who authorizes weapons purchase permits, played key roles in facilitating this scheme.
The NISA Chief, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe, a Somali-British MP from Hawadle/Hawiye, was also involved to ensure the smooth movement of the weapons into the country.
Expansion of the Deal
Upon learning of this, allies of President Hassan Sheikh from the Habargedir/Hawiye clan demanded their share of the weapons.
Galmudug security officials reported that the President expanded the deal to include allies such as MP Sadaq Omar Hassan (John), MP Sabir Nur Shuriye, and Liibaan Ahmed Hassan, known as ‘Shuluq’, who manages army logistics in the Galmudug region.
Both John and Shuriye had a history of financing piracy groups and other violent militia groups in central regions and Mogadishu.
The weapons were reportedly purchased from Djibouti, transiting through Ethiopia. However, some sources claim it has been bought from Ethiopia.
On Tuesday, Galmudug’s Internal Security Ministry stated, “The weapons were purchased by known arms dealers with a history of serving terrorist groups and fueling clan violence in central Somalia.”
Government Response and Political Fallout
Angered and exposed, President Hassan Sheikh urgently convened the National Security Council on Thursday evening. The subsequent statement declared a ban on the sale of the seized weapons, raising further questions.
The council, chaired by president Hassan Sheikh and included Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and other officials, claimed the arms were “illegally imported and secretly entered the country” but did not name those involved.
Parliament Speaker Aden Madobe announced the formation of a seven-member committee to report on the incident, following concerns from opposition lawmakers.
MP Malik Abdalla suggested the weapons were intended to arm the Al-Shabaab terror group against the Ma’awisley militia, who have been fighting terrorists for two years.
“We believe that these weapons are involved with top government officials. We also believe that they were intended to arm the Al-Shabaab terror group in order to defeat the Ma’awisley militia that fought the terrorists,” said MP Malik Abdalla, who comes from Hiiraan region, the epicenter of the Ma’awisley clan militia uprising against Al-Shabaab that started two years ago.
Puntland State and Somaliland have voiced their concerns over the proliferation of arms, with Somaliland calling for the UN Security Council to review the arms embargo on Somalia.
In December 2023, the UN Security Council lifted the arms embargo on Somalia that had been in place since 1992, a decision many described as premature.
The Abudwaq incident underscores the involvement of Somalia’s top government officials in the illicit arms trade. Addressing this issue will be ineffective unless the masterminds are held accountable. The implications extend beyond Somalia’s security, posing a significant threat to the peace and stability of neighboring countries and the wider East African region.
