Two Somali men reportedly played key roles in deepening ties between Al-Shabaab and Yemen’s Houthis, facilitating weapons requests, military training and direct contacts between the two groups.
Jibriil Yahye Ali, known as Gacaamey, reportedly served as an Al-Shabaab liaison to the Houthis in Yemen, while Sheikh Ahmed Ilmi Samatar later emerged as a senior representative involved in weapons requests and arrangements for military training.
The findings offer a detailed account of how relations between the two groups have developed in recent years, with US and Somali officials saying their cooperation has extended to weapons, drone technology and military training.
Gacaamey and the Yemen connection
Jibriil travelled regularly between Somalia and Yemen for years and was 38 when he was killed in eastern Yemen in February, according to the reports.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Jibriil studied veterinary medicine in Yemen before returning to Mogadishu, where he managed a charity, a currency exchange business and an import-export company.
Previous gunshot wounds left scars that earned him the nickname Gacaamey, although he retained the use of both arms.
According to the newspaper, Jibriil secretly travelled between Somalia and Yemen and had served, at least since 2023, as an intermediary between Al-Shabaab and Houthi officials.
The Houthis reportedly provided him with a furnished home in Sanaa, where he also attended official events organised by the movement.
A document reviewed by the newspaper allegedly showed that the Houthi administration issued Jibriil a Yemeni passport under a name different from his real identity.
His role reportedly went beyond simply maintaining contact between the two sides.
The Wall Street Journal said Jibriil introduced an arms dealer to Houthi weapons suppliers and subsequently helped arrange the purchase of military equipment intended for Al-Shabaab, as well as plans to move the weapons into Somalia.
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A Yemeni intelligence assessment reviewed by the newspaper described Jibriil as an important figure in strengthening ties between the two groups, particularly in weapons procurement and the exchange of military expertise.
Companies allegedly established as fronts for the operations reportedly disguised weapons shipments as civilian goods before they were transported from Mukalla and other Yemeni ports.
Fishing boats and fast vessels then allegedly carried the weapons across the Gulf of Aden to lightly monitored parts of Somalia's northern coastline. Other networks reportedly moved the supplies southwards to areas where Al-Shabaab maintains fighting units.
Samatar and requests for advanced weapons
Al-Shabaab expanded its links with Yemen in 2024 and sent Sheikh Ahmed Ilmi Samatar there, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper described Samatar as a senior representative who worked alongside Jibriil and conveyed to Houthi officials a detailed list of weapons sought by Al-Shabaab.
The reported list included shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, 107mm Katyusha rockets, Dragunov sniper rifles, explosive-laden drones, anti-tank missiles and US-made night-vision equipment.
The developments come as Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group fighting Somalia's federal government, remains active across large parts of southern and central Somalia.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have built extensive military capabilities in Yemen and have carried out attacks against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the wider regional conflict.
The reported cooperation between the two groups could therefore provide Al-Shabaab with access to additional weapons, technology and military expertise, although the full extent of the relationship remains difficult to independently verify.
Neither the reports nor the information cited above establishes that every item allegedly requested or transferred was ultimately delivered to Al-Shabaab.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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