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Weapons supplied by Iran to Houthi allies in Yemen smuggled into Somalia for Al Shabab insurgents

The VOI reported according to an agency based in Geneva, Switzerland, weapons supplied by Iran to Houthi allies in Yemen are being smuggled across the Gulf of Aden into Somalia, where Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabab insurgents are battling a weak and divided government.
The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime said its study took data from more than 400 weapons documented at 13 locations across Somalia over eight months, and an inventory of 13 dhows intercepted by naval vessels.
This is the first publicly available study of the scale of illicit arms smuggling from Yemen to the Horn of Africa country.
"Weapons originating from the Iran-Yemeni arms trade are being trafficked to Somalia itself," said the study, which will be published on Wednesday, citing Reuters Nov. 10.
The study continued: "Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in arms trade to the Houthis. However, most of the evidence points to Iranian state supplies."

Iran's Foreign Ministry and a spokesman for Yemen's Houthi forces did not respond to requests for comment on the study. Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in arms trafficking to Houthi allies in Yemen, where a six-year civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Somalia government and the interior security minister did not return calls or messages seeking comment.
The study said investigators were unable to fully document gun buyers and sellers. But it said signs of the weapons were originally supplied by the Iranian state, including very close serial numbers indicating they were part of the same shipment, information from a satellite navigation system about confiscated dhows, and human intelligence from smuggling gangs.
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One dhow carrying weapons seized by a US Navy ship had GPS with stored points in Iran, southern Yemen, and Somalia, the report said, including a small port near the port of Jask, which houses an Iranian naval base, and a 'home' ' as the port of Mukalla in Yemen, a notorious center for arms smuggling.
Additionally, the study said the weapons ended up with commercial smuggling networks, whose customers could include armed factions seeking to profit ahead of Somalia's repeatedly delayed presidential election, as well as clan militias and rival Islamist insurgent groups linked to Al Qaeda and the State. Islam.
Source: voi
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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