Somalia’s leadership, politicians, and even their so-called “academics” loudly claim to fight Al Shabaab.
But behind the slogans lies a darker reality: Mogadishu has used Al Shabaab as a strategic weapon against Somaliland for years.

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Whenever Somaliland gains global attention like when it signed the MoU with Ethiopia, Somalia leaders appeal directly to Al Shabaab. Even now, with President Trump mentioning Somaliland, they’re at it again.

Here’s Somalia’s president calling for Jihad after the MoU with Ethiopia, saying:

“The Crusaders (Ethiopia) are coming, we need to renew our Jihad.”

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 🧵

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released a report detailing individuals who facilitate the financing of terrorist organizations such as Al-Shabaab and ISIS. These individuals, primarily based in Puntland, Somalia, are actively involved in illegal arms trafficking and have significant business ties to these extremist groups. According to the report, eight individuals from Puntland have been named as key players in this network, serving as suppliers of arms and logistical support to Al-Shabaab and ISIS in Somalia.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐂 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭

𝟏: Liibaan Yuusuf Maxamed
•A senior operative of Al-Shabaab, responsible for security and kidnappings.
•Owns Liibaan General Trading Co., which is implicated in facilitating arms for Al-Shabaab.
𝟐: Cabdiraxmaan Maxamed Cumar
•Member of ISIS-Somalia and a key arms trafficker operating between Yemen and Somalia.
•Involved in over $2 million in illegal arms trade between 2020 and 2024.
𝟑: Mahad Ciise Aadan
•Smuggler linked to multiple illegal arms trade networks in Puntland.
•Supplied arms to both ISIS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab, moving nearly $800,000 worth of arms between 2015 and 2020.
𝟒: Ciise Maxamuud Yuusuf
•Facilitator of arms and logistics for ISIS-Somalia in Puntland’s Bari region.
𝟓:Cabdiraxmaan Faahiye Ciise Maxamuud
•Senior ISIS-Somalia operative who coordinated suicide bombings, including the 2017 attack in Bosaso.
𝟔: Axmed Xaaji Cali Xaaji Cumar
•Key leader of ISIS-Somalia’s arms smuggling operations in Puntland, playing a critical role in ISIS-Somalia’s leadership structure.

𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

The report highlights how Puntland has become a hub for these activities, raising questions about the region’s role in enabling terrorist financing and arms trade. The networks operating between Puntland and Yemen have close ties with Al-Qaeda, further exacerbating the issue.

The international community is well aware of these networks, as highlighted in the OFAC report. The continued operation of these arms traffickers in Puntland underscores the region’s role as a critical enabler of terrorism in the Horn of Africa. This is not only a regional issue but a global security concern.

The evidence outlined in the OFAC report points to Puntland as a significant source of support for terrorist organizations like Al-Shabaab and ISIS. These networks, operating with apparent impunity, facilitate the arms trade and logistical support that sustain these extremist groups, underscoring the region’s complicity in perpetuating terrorism. Interestingly Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf the head of the finance office of the Somalia-based affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a former Minister from Puntland during @aliabdiweli