Fares Mohammed Manaa is a notorious Yemeni arms dealer and a key figure in arms trafficking across the Horn of Africa and Yemen. His prominence rose in the early 2000s when he was involved in the illicit supply and sale of weapons, often in violation of international arms embargoes. Manaa’s arms dealings include supplying arms to Somalia, particularly to the Al-Shabaab militant group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States.

His activities led to his inclusion on the UN sanctions list in 2010 for breaching the arms embargo on Somalia. He was also blacklisted by the Yemeni government in 2009 as part of its efforts to curb the flow of weapons in the country, which has one of the highest per capita rates of gun ownership in the world.

Manaa is closely associated with the Houthis, a rebel group in Yemen, and served as the governor of Saada, a stronghold of the Houthis. He also held a ministerial position in the Houthi-led government, although he eventually fell out with them. His ties extend to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), facilitating arms smuggling through the port of Aden. Despite international sanctions, he remains an influential figure in arms smuggling operations throughout Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

Manaa is widely regarded as one of the region’s most prominent arms dealers, with extensive networks that facilitate the flow of arms across conflict zones. His dealings have contributed to ongoing instability in Yemen and the wider region, drawing condemnation and sanctions from multiple international bodies.