Mohamed Said Atom
Encyclopedia
Mohamed Said Atom alternatively Sheikh Mohamed Said Atom, is a Somali
arms-smuggler, warlord
and Al-Shabaab commander.
-linked Al-Shabaab group of Islamist militants that is waging war against Somalia's Transitional Federal Government
. According to a 2008 United Nations Monitoring Group report, he is “aligned with al-Shabaab and may take instructions from Shabaab leader Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf ‘Shangole.’
”
in Puntland
. That same year, he declared war on the autonomous region's administration, announcing on July 28 that: We are members of the Shabab, and the Shabab are members of us. We have good contacts. We are united in our objectives.
On August 8, 2010, Puntland security forces launched an offensive against Atom's militants, who were hiding out in the Galgala hills. Atom had fled just before the attack that left more than 100 militants dead, having reportedly misled his men prior to the Puntland army's offensive by promising reinforcements from Al-Shabaab via the town of Burao in the Somaliland
region. By late October, Puntland military personnel had seized the last insurgent outposts.
On May 11, 2011, fighting flared up again in the Galgala hills, as militants loyal to Atom attempted to ambush Puntland soldiers in an early morning raid. Five Puntland troops were reportedly killed and four were wounded in the ensuing battle, while at least 21 of the Al-Shabaab-affiliated militiamen were slain. The remaining militants fled to their mountain hideouts, with Puntland army personnel conducting military operations in pursuit.
reported that Atom was hiding out in Somaliland after being pursued by the neighboring Puntland region's authorities for his role in targeted assassination attempts against Puntland officials as well as bomb plots. Several of Atom's followers were also reportedly receiving medical attention in the region, after having been wounded in a counter-terrorism raid in the Galgala hills by Puntland security personnel. According to Puntland government documents, the Somaliland region's Riyale
government in 2006 both financed and offered military assistance to Atom's men as part of a campaign to destabilize the autonomous territory via proxy agents and to distract attention away from the Somaliland government's own attempts at occupying the disputed Sool
province. The Puntland Intelligence Agency
(PIA) also alleged that over 70 salaried Somaliland soldiers had fought alongside Atom's militiamen during the Galgala operation, including one known Somaliland intelligence official who died in the ensuing battle. In January 2011, the Puntland government issued a press release accusing the incumbent Somaliland administration of providing a safe haven for Atom and of attempting to revive remnants of his militia. The Somaliland authorities, which had earlier described Atom as a "terrorist", strenuously denied all of the charges, dismissing them as "baseless" and intended to divert attention away from Puntland's attempt to establish what it described as a "large army". In January 2011, the Hargeisa
-based broadsheet Haatuf also published an interview wherein a representative of Atom's denied that his group was affiliated with Al-Shabaab and requested military assistance from the Somaliland administration. In May 2011 Puntland's governor of Sanaag
region Mohamoud Said Nur claimed that Somaliland
is behind the renewed fighting in Galgala
.
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
arms-smuggler, warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
and Al-Shabaab commander.
Al-Shabaab operative
An arms-smuggler on both U.S. and U.N. security watch-lists, Atom has been tied to the Al-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
-linked Al-Shabaab group of Islamist militants that is waging war against Somalia's Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
. According to a 2008 United Nations Monitoring Group report, he is “aligned with al-Shabaab and may take instructions from Shabaab leader Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf ‘Shangole.’
Fuad Mohamed Qalaf
Fuad Mohamed Qalaf , also known as Fuad Shangole, is a Somali-Swedish militant Islamist. He was a senior leader of the now defunct Islamic Courts Union , and is currently a senior leader of its successor al-Shabaab.-Biography:...
”
Galgala conflict
In 2010, Atom's militia was stationed in GalgalaGalgala
Galgala is a growing town in Bari region of Somalia. The town has ancient markings of religious symbols and crosses and ancient remains of a cairns which commonly found in Sanaag and Bari,_Somalia regions...
in Puntland
Puntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
. That same year, he declared war on the autonomous region's administration, announcing on July 28 that: We are members of the Shabab, and the Shabab are members of us. We have good contacts. We are united in our objectives.
On August 8, 2010, Puntland security forces launched an offensive against Atom's militants, who were hiding out in the Galgala hills. Atom had fled just before the attack that left more than 100 militants dead, having reportedly misled his men prior to the Puntland army's offensive by promising reinforcements from Al-Shabaab via the town of Burao in the Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
region. By late October, Puntland military personnel had seized the last insurgent outposts.
On May 11, 2011, fighting flared up again in the Galgala hills, as militants loyal to Atom attempted to ambush Puntland soldiers in an early morning raid. Five Puntland troops were reportedly killed and four were wounded in the ensuing battle, while at least 21 of the Al-Shabaab-affiliated militiamen were slain. The remaining militants fled to their mountain hideouts, with Puntland army personnel conducting military operations in pursuit.
Somaliland tie allegations
In October 2010, Garowe OnlineGarowe Online
Garowe Online is an independently-operated news agency based in Puntland, Somalia.-History:Garowe Online specializes in publishing Somali news from sources inside Somalia in both Somali and English. Established in 2004, it is owned by Nugaal community members...
reported that Atom was hiding out in Somaliland after being pursued by the neighboring Puntland region's authorities for his role in targeted assassination attempts against Puntland officials as well as bomb plots. Several of Atom's followers were also reportedly receiving medical attention in the region, after having been wounded in a counter-terrorism raid in the Galgala hills by Puntland security personnel. According to Puntland government documents, the Somaliland region's Riyale
Dahir Riyale Kahin
Dahir Rayale Kahin was the third President of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as a part of Somalia. He became the third president of Somaliland on May 3, 2002, after the death of Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal...
government in 2006 both financed and offered military assistance to Atom's men as part of a campaign to destabilize the autonomous territory via proxy agents and to distract attention away from the Somaliland government's own attempts at occupying the disputed Sool
Sool
Sool is an administrative region in northern Somalia.-Overview:With its capital at Las Anod, Sool is historically known for being the seat of the anti-colonial Dervish movement....
province. The Puntland Intelligence Agency
Puntland Intelligence Agency
The Puntland Intelligence Agency is the Puntland Government's intelligence agency. Established in 1991, it was known as the Puntland Intelligence Service, until it was renamed as part of reforms instigated by President Abdirahman Mohamud Farole. Colonel Ali Mahamad Yusuf was appointed Director...
(PIA) also alleged that over 70 salaried Somaliland soldiers had fought alongside Atom's militiamen during the Galgala operation, including one known Somaliland intelligence official who died in the ensuing battle. In January 2011, the Puntland government issued a press release accusing the incumbent Somaliland administration of providing a safe haven for Atom and of attempting to revive remnants of his militia. The Somaliland authorities, which had earlier described Atom as a "terrorist", strenuously denied all of the charges, dismissing them as "baseless" and intended to divert attention away from Puntland's attempt to establish what it described as a "large army". In January 2011, the Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
-based broadsheet Haatuf also published an interview wherein a representative of Atom's denied that his group was affiliated with Al-Shabaab and requested military assistance from the Somaliland administration. In May 2011 Puntland's governor of Sanaag
Sanaag
Sanaag is an administrative region in northern Somalia. Its capital city is Erigavo.Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the Somali regions of Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sool and Bari....
region Mohamoud Said Nur claimed that Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
is behind the renewed fighting in Galgala
Galgala
Galgala is a growing town in Bari region of Somalia. The town has ancient markings of religious symbols and crosses and ancient remains of a cairns which commonly found in Sanaag and Bari,_Somalia regions...
.