Isse Mohamoud Yusuf

This article is about the Somali pirate. For the Somali clan, see Isse Mohamoud.

Isse Mohamoud Yusuf, also known as Isse Yuluh,^[1] (Somali: Ciise Maxamuud Yuusuf (Yulux) ; born 1966) is a former pirate who is involved in various illegal activities in Bari, Puntland, Somalia. He serves as a weapons and logistics facilitator for ISIS-Somalia, operating as part of the Qandala-Hafun network. His role includes smuggling weapons.^[2][3][4]

Isse Mohamoud Yusuf
Ciise Maxamuud Yuusuf
Born	1966 (age 58–59) Timirshe, Bari, Puntland, Somalia
Nationality	Somali
Other names	Isse Yuluh[1]
Citizenship	Somalia
Years active	2006-2015
Known for	Arms trafficking

Personal life

Isse Yuluh was born on 1966 in Timirshe, in the Bari region of Puntland, Somalia.^[1] Originally he comes from the Ali Saleeban community sub-clan of Majeerteen.^[5]

Pirate

Isse Yuluh was previously a leader of the Somali Piracy Network, but publicly renounced piracy in 2015. However, he still maintains militias in the Alula district, where his pirate activities were concentrated. Yuluh has been known to purchase fuel in Qandala, Somalia, which he then sells in Yemen to generate profits. He utilizes these profits to acquire weapons from AQAP and sells them to pirates in Qandala.^[6]

US sanctions

Yuluh coordinates shipments based on direct requests from ISIS-Somalia, ensuring the delivery of both lethal weapons and non-lethal supplies. He also collaborates with al-Hayashi and is related to Mumin, the leader of ISIS-Somalia. Additionally, Yuluh oversees a network of black-market smugglers who were responsible for a significant weapons and ammunition shipment disguised as regular weapons purchased by dealers.^[7]

Apart from arms smuggling, Yuluh engages in other illicit activities to support ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab operations. In early 2022, he facilitated the travel of ISIS militants to Somalia for meetings on the restructuring of leadership and tactical strategies. Furthermore, Yuluh owned a dhow used for deep-sea fishing, which was part of a network involved in Iranian weapons trafficking, transportation, and money laundering disguised as fishing operations.^[8]

Due to his significant support for ISIS-Somalia, Yuluh has been designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 by United States Department of the Treasury, as amended, which targets individuals providing assistance, sponsorship, financial support, material support, technological support, goods, or services to designated terrorist organizations.^[9]