Somalia Sanctions 

Information on Persons Listed in the 

nnex to E.O. 13536 of 

Updated September 22, 2010

A

April 12, 2010 
Created on 11/3/2010 11:08 AM Page 2 of 6

Updated January 24, 2007 

Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O 13536 of 

April 12, 2010 

Updated on September 22, 2010 

 

 Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O. 13536 of April 12, 2010

(1) Abshir Abdullahi "Boyah"

BOYAH has been described as “a key organizer, recruiter, financier and commander of a 

maritime militia consisting of approximately 500 operating pirates, with responsibility for 

hijacking between 25 and 60 shipping vessels since the mid-1990s.” 

In an April 2009 article on Somali piracy in the UK’s The Times, “Boyah” calls himself 

“chairman” of approximately 500 pirates operating as a “loose confederation” in the Eyl area. 

BOYAH is described as “a key organizer, recruiter, financier and mission commander” and the 

article recounts his claim that “all applicants for the position of Pirate (Eyl Division) must come 

to him.” BOYAH recounted hijackings with which he was involved, including the Japanese 

chemical tanker Golden Nori, in October 2007, which involved a stand-off with U.S. Navy 

vessels but eventually yielded a $1.5 million ransom off the coast of Somalia. The BBC News 

corroborates that the Golden Nori was a Japanese chemical tanker hijacked in late October 2007 

that was involved in a stand-off with the U.S. Navy. The reporting states that the pirates 

demanded a $1 million ransom. 

(2) Hassan Abdullah Hersi Al-Turki 

Hassan Abdullah Hersi Al-Turki has been a senior leader of an armed militia group since the mid1990s and had engaged in numerous arms embargo violations. In 2006, al-Turki contributed 

forces to the Islamic Courts Union take-over of Mogadishu and emerged as a military leader in 

the group, aligned with al-Shabaab. Since 2006, al-Turki has made territory under his control 

available for training by various armed opposition groups including al-Shabaab. In September 

2007, al-Turki appeared in an al-Jazeera news video showing militia training under his leadership. 

(3) Hassan Dahir Aweys 

Hassan Dahir Aweys has acted and continues to act as a senior political and ideological leader of 

a variety of armed opposition groups responsible for repeated violations of the general and 

complete arms embargo and/or acts that threaten the Djibouti peace agreement, the TFG and 

AMISOM forces. Between June 2006 and September 2007, Aweys served as chairman of the 

central committee of the Islamic Courts Union; in July 2008 he declared himself chairman of the 

Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia-Asmara wing; and in May 2009 he was named 

chairman of Hisbul Islam, an alliance of groups opposed to the TFG. In each of these positions, 

Aweys’s statements and actions have demonstrated an unequivocal and sustained intention to 

dismantle the TFG and expel AMISOM by force from Somalia. 

(4) Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed "Godane" 

Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed is a senior leader of al-Shabaab and was publically named emir of the 

organization in December 2007. He exercises command responsibility for al-Shabaab operations 

across Somalia. Aw-Mohamed has denounced the Djibouti peace process as a foreign conspiracy, 

and in a May 2009 audio recording to Somali media, he acknowledged that his forces were 

engaged in recent fighting in Mogadishu. 

(5) Yasin Ali Baynah 
Created on 11/3/2010 11:08 AM Page 3 of 6

Updated January 24, 2007 

Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O 13536 of 

April 12, 2010 

Updated on September 22, 2010 

 

Yasin Ali Baynah has incited attacks against the TFG and AMISOM. He has also mobilized 

support and raised funds on behalf of the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia and Hisbul 

Islam, both of which have actively engaged in acts that threaten the peace and security of 

Somalia, including rejection of the Djibouti Agreement, and attacks on the TFG and AMISOM 

forces in Mogadishu. 

(6) Mohamed Abdi Garaad

GARAAD is a principal organizer and financier of pirate activities. GARAAD has acknowledged 

responsibility for multiple hijackings and attempted hijackings, including the M/V Stella Maris, 

M/V Maersk Alabama and M/V Liberty Sun. The M/V Maersk Alabama and M/V Liberty Sun 

were carrying food aid destined for Somalia. The attacks on these vessels represented the 

obstruction of humanitarian assistance for Somalia. 

In an interview in the UK’s Globe and Mail newspaper, GARAAD explained that he “exerts 

direct control over 13 groups of pirates with a total of 800 hijackers.... Each group has a ‘sublieutenant’ who reports directly to Garaad, and none of them make a move without his 

authorization.” The article described GARAAD’s rise from “front-line pirate” to becoming “one 

of the better known organizers and financiers in Puntland.” The article recounts GARAAD’s 

discussion of his capture of “about a dozen” fishing ships as well as “an untold number of 

commercial vessels.” 

Three articles from Paris AFP connect GARAAD to the M/V Maersk Alabama hijacking by his 

own words. According to the April 11 article, “Abdi Garad,” the “pirate commander” for the 

hijacked Maersk Alabama told Paris AFP by phone from Eyl while the captain of the ship was 

still being held that “the American captive would be moved from the lifeboat where he was being 

held.” GARAAD is quoted as saying that he was worried that “this matter is likely to create 

disaster because it’s taking too long and we are getting information that the Americans are 

planning rescue tricks like the French commandos did”—referring to the French commando raid 

of the hijacked yacht Tanit, which left at least two of the pirates dead. The article noted that the 

Maersk Alabama “was carrying 5,000 tonnes of UN aid destined for African refugees.” A World 

Food Program press release from April 2009 confirmed that the Maersk Alabama was carrying 

over 4,000 metric tons of food, “which is used especially for combating malnutrition among 

children and their mothers” and was “destined for Somalia, Kenya and Uganda.” 

The April 15 Paris AFP article interviewed pirate “commander” GARAAD following an attack on 

the U.S. ship Liberty Sun. The Liberty Sun was attacked with rockets and bullets in what 

GARAAD said was “intended to destroy this American-flagged ship and the crew on board,” 

although the ship escaped after taking hits. According to the article, “Garad said the attack was 

revenge for the weekend operation that freed Maersk Alabama captain Richard Phillips and killed 

three pirates.” The Liberty Sun was reportedly “heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa with 

international food aid.” This article corroborates GARAAD’s connection to the attacks on both 

the Maersk Alabama and the Liberty Sun. 

(7) Yemane Ghebreab

YEMANE is the Head of Political Affairs and senior advisor on Somali issues for the Eritrean 

president. YEMANE is considered the most senior official under the president working on 

Somali issues. YEMANE coordinates Asmara's activities with Somali opposition groups. The 
Created on 11/3/2010 11:08 AM Page 4 of 6

Updated January 24, 2007 

Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O 13536 of 

April 12, 2010 

Updated on September 22, 2010 

 

Government of Eritrea formally rejects the Djibouti peace agreement of 18 August 2008, denies 

the legitimacy of the Transitional Federal Government ((TFG)) and opposes the presence of 

African Union forces (AMISOM) on Somali soil. A number of independent and mutually 

corroborating sources, including senior officials of the opposition group the Alliance for the ReLiberation of Somalia, have identified YEMANE as a primary interlocutor on behalf of the 

Eritrean government with armed opposition groups threatening the TFG or AMISOM. 

In 2008, YEMANE allegedly was involved in planning weapons shipments into Somalia. In 

2007, YEMANE devised a strategy to support jihadist militias in Somalia to attack the TFG and 

Ethiopia. YEMANE also raised funds to support his efforts. In 2007, YEMANE reportedly was 

involved in procuring military materiel for al-Shabaab jihadists in Somalia. 

(8) Fuad Mohamed Khalaf (aka Fuad Shongale)

Khalaf has facilitated financial support to al-Shabaab; in May 2008 he held two fundraising 

events for al-Shabaab at mosques in Kismaayo, Somalia. In April 2008, Khalaf and several other 

individuals directed vehicle borne explosive device attacks on Ethiopian bases and TFG elements 

in Mogadishu, Somalia. In May 2008, Khalaf and a group of fighters attacked and captured a 

police station in Mogadishu, killing and wounding several soldiers. 

(9) Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud 

Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud is a military commander of al-Shabaab, an E.O. 13224-listed entity. 

Mahamoud was also one of approximately 10 members on al-Shabaab's leadership council as of 

late 2008. Mahamoud and an associate were in charge of the 10 June 2009 mortar attack against 

the Somali Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu. Additionally, as of 2007, Mahamoud 

coordinated al-Qa'ida activity in Somalia. 

(10) Fares Mohammed Mana'a 

FARES MOHAMMED MANA'A is a known arms trafficker from Yemen. In October 2009, the 

Yemeni government released a blacklist of arms dealers with MANA'A "on top," as part of an 

effort to stem the flood of weapons in the country, where weapons reportedly outnumber people. 

"Faris Manaa is a major weapons trafficker, and that's well known," according to June 2009 

reporting by a U.S. journalist who is a commentator on Yemeni affairs, authors a semi-annual 

country report, and has contributed to Jane's Intelligence Group. In a December 2007 Yemen 

Times article, he is referenced as "Sheikh Fares Mohammed Mana'a, an arms dealer." In a 

January 2008 Yemen Times article, he is referred to as "Sheikh Faris Mana'a, an arms tradesman." 

In 2004, MANA'A was involved in weapons contracts from Eastern Europe for weapons 

allegedly marketed to Somali fighters. As of mid-2008, Yemen continues to serve as a hub for 

illegal arms shipments to the Horn of Africa, particularly arms shipments by boat to Somalia. 

There are unconfirmed reports that FARIS MANA'A has participated in shipments to Somalia on 

numerous occasions. Despite the Somalia UN arms embargo since 1992, MANA'A's interest in 

trafficking arms into Somalia can be traced back at least to 2003. MANA'A made an offer to buy 

thousands of arms in 2003 from Eastern Europe, and indicated that he planned to sell some of the 

arms in Somalia. 

(11) Mohamed Sa'id "Atom"
Created on 11/3/2010 11:08 AM Page 5 of 6

Updated January 24, 2007 

Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O 13536 of 

April 12, 2010 

Updated on September 22, 2010 

 

 

MOHAMED SA'ID "ATOM" has been identified as one of the principal suppliers of arms and 

ammunition for al-Shabaab operations in the Puntland region. He is described as the leader of a 

militia that emerged in 2006 in the eastern Sanaag region of northern Somalia. The militia 

comprises as many as 250 fighters and has been implicated in incidents of kidnapping, piracy and 

terrorism, and imports its own weapons, in violation of the arms embargo. ATOM has 

established his force as the principal military presence in the area. According to some 

information, ATOM is aligned with al-Shabaab and may receive instructions from al-Shabaab 

leader Fu'aad Mohamed Khalaf. 

ATOM's forces were implicated in the kidnapping of a German aid worker, in the kidnapping of 

two Somalis near Bossaso, and in a bombing of Ethiopian migrants in Bossaso on 5 February 

2008, which killed 20 people and wounded over 100 others. ATOM's militia may also have 

played a secondary role in the kidnapping of a German couple captured by pirates in June 2008. 

ATOM is reportedly involved in arms trafficking. Information from a number of sources 

indicates that his forces receive arms and equipment from Yemen and Eritrea. According to a 

December 2008 report, "An eyewitness described six such shipments during a four-week period 

in early 2008, each sufficient to fill two pickup trucks with small arms, ammunition, and rocketpropelled grenades." According to a Bossaso businessman familiar with the arms trade, ATOM's 

consignments do not enter the arms market, suggesting that they are either retained for the use of 

his forces or are transferred to recipients in southern Somalia, where al-Shabaab operates. 

 (12) Al-Shabaab (entity) 

On February 26, 2008, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the 

Secretary of the Treasury, designated al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 

section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global 

Terrorist pursuant to section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. 

According to the UN, both al-Shabaab and Hisb’ul Islam “...had publicly and repeatedly claimed 

responsibility for the attacks by their forces on the TFG1

 and AMISOM. Al-Shabaab had also 

claimed responsibility for the killing of TFG officials, and on 19 July had raided and shut down 

the field offices of UNOPS,2

 UNDSS3 and UNDP in the Bay and Bakool regions, in violation of 

paragraph 8 (c) of resolution 1844.” 

According to a December 2008 report from the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia, Al-Shabaab is 

responsible for a variety of attacks over the last several years, including: 

1. The reported killing and beheading of a Somali driver working for the World Food 

Programme in September 2008. 

2. The bombing of a market in Puntland that killed 20 and wounded over 100 on February 6, 

2008. 

3. A campaign of bombings and targeted killings in Somaliland intended to disrupt the 2006 

parliamentary elections. 

1

 TFG is an acronym for the Transitional Federal Government of the Somali Republic. 

2

 UNOPS is an acronym for United Nations Office of Project Services. 

3

 UNDSS is an acronym for United Nations Department of Safety and Security. 
Created on 11/3/2010 11:08 AM Page 6 of 6

Updated January 24, 2007 

Information on Persons Listed in the Annex to E.O 13536 of 

April 12, 2010 

Updated on September 22, 2010 

 

 

4. The murders of several foreign aid workers in 2003 and 2004. 

According to an article by the BBC, al-Shabab, an alias of al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for 

a suicide car bomb attack on an African Union military base in Mogadishu. The African Union 

confirmed that 11 African Union peacekeepers were killed and 15 others were hurt. According to 

an article posted on the website of the Council on Foreign Relations authored, al-Shabaab “has 

waged an insurgency against Somalia’s transitional government and its Ethiopian supporters since 

2006.” “In February 2009, Shabaab killed eleven Burundian soldiers in the deadliest attack on 

AU4

 peacekeepers since their deployment” and states that Al-Shabaab “engaged in heavy fighting 

that killed at least fifteen people in Mogadishu.” 

4

 (U) AU is an acronym for African Union.