Report: Islamic State Regrouping in Somalia

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions against the network of smugglers who supply weapons to the Islamic State and al-Shabaab in Somalia.

“Several of the individuals designated today have specifically sold weapons to or were active al-Shabaab members. The individuals and entity designated today are critical nodes for a weapons trafficking network that is closely integrated with ISIS-Somalia,” the Treasury Department said.

“These networks operate primarily between Yemen and Somalia and have strong ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al-Shabaab,” the press release noted.

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson cited the devastating al-Shabaab bombing attack in Mogadishu on Saturday, which killed over 120 people, as a reason for taking urgent action.

“Today, we take direct aim at the networks funding and supplying both ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab that support their violent acts,” Nelson said.

“The involvement of those designated today in other criminal activity, including piracy and illegal fishing, demonstrates the extent of ISIS-Somalia’s integration with illicit networks and other terrorist organizations operating in the region,” he asserted.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior analyst Caleb Weiss told Voice of America News (VOA) on Tuesday that the network targeted by Treasury is willing to serve both the Islamic State and al-Shabaab, even though the latter is allied with the progenitors and rivals of ISIS, al-Qaeda.

“I don’t think it’s anything ideological. They’re using the same basic smuggling networks and smugglers that are happy to do business with the highest bidder,” Weiss said.

“I am sure Iran is also looking at this as an angle to make extra cash, as well,” Weiss added.

The Iranian theocracy is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, but it normally supports Shiite Muslim terrorists and insurgents and is theoretically less friendly to Sunni Muslim groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. As the Treasury Department noted, Iranian smugglers are suspected of providing both money and material support to IS-Somalia over the past few years.

The biggest names among the eight individuals sanctioned by Treasury on Tuesday were Abdirahman Fahiye Isee Mohamud, an “emir” or ruler of the Islamic State’s “caliphate” in Somalia; IS-Somalia logistics chief Isse Mohamoud Yusuf; and al-Shabaab intelligence chief Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye.

Both IS-Somalia and al-Shabaab were enthusiastically serviced by arms smuggler Mahad Isse Aden, whose side hustle is an illegal fishing network, as Nelson mentioned. Aden’s deadly wares are largely supplied by Iran, often passing through Yemen.

“Aden serves as a key node linking Yemen- and Somalia-based arms trafficking networks, and has additionally shipped AK-47s, PKMs, DShK machine guns, ZU-23 light anti-aircraft guns, and small caliber ammunition to Somalia,” the Treasury Department said.

In addition to arms smugglers and their contacts in IS-Somalia and al-Shabaab, Treasury sanctioned the Liibaan General Trading Co. and its manager, Liibaan Yousuf Mohamed. Mohamed is a former senior operative of al-Shabaab who now handles IS-Somalia’s business interests.

Rounding out the list of Treasury sanctions was Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr, an Islamic State operative who was tasked with obtaining weapons from North Korea. He was reportedly paid almost $30,000 by ISIS for his efforts but was not successful in procuring equipment from North Korea.

According to the U.S. State Department, Bakr is currently based in Brazil, where his attempts to do business with the North Korean regime were conducted.

VOA quoted analysts who said the Islamic State appears to view Somalia as a crossroads for moving money and weapons around. IS-Somalia has a relatively small force of poorly-compensated operatives, but it has connections across Africa, which it uses to support ISIS groups in other countries.

A senior Treasury official told reporters on Monday that further actions against arms smuggling and terrorist financing in Africa are coming in the next few months.