| Fares Mohammed Mana'a | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Sa'dah* | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 27 March 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Taha Hajer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 8, 1965 Sa'dah, Yemen |
| Nationality | Yemeni |
| Political party | Independent GPC (until March 2011) |
| Profession | Arms-dealer, businessman, governor |
| Religion | Zaydi Shi'a Islam |
| *His authority as governor is not recognised by Saleh's government in Sana'a | |
Sheikh Fares Mohammed Mana'a (born February 8, 1965)[1][2] is a top Yemeni arms-dealer,[1][2] businessman,[3] rebel commander and politician.[4] He is said to be Yemen's most famous arms-dealer.[5] Mana'a was born on February 8, 1965 in the northern city of Sa'dah[2] and was an ally of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and member of his ruling GPC party[4] and served as head of his Presidential committee and as head of a local council tasked with mediating a peace-deal between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels during the Shia insurgency in Yemen. His brother was the governor of Sa'dah Governorate at the time.[3][6]
His name was however put on a United Nations Security Council list of people accused of trafficking arms to Somali Islamist insurgent group Harakat al-Shabaab Mujahedeen,[1][2] which is considered as a terrorist organisation by the United States[7] and is accused of with al-Qaeda.[8] This led to his assets being frozen by the US Treasury Department.[9][10] He was also accused of receiving millions in funds from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi,[11] spying for Libya and supplying arms to the Houthis.[10] Mana'a denied these charges claiming that arms had been stolen by Houthis from an arms deposit he owned. In October 2009[12] was put at the top of a blacklist of Yemeni arms-dealers, after which he was put under surveillance.[1][2][10]
In late January 2010, Mana'a was arrested by Yemeni authorities[12] leading to protests in Sa'dah by tribal chiefs and the resignation of his brother Hassan Mana'a as governor.[13] In May, a mini-bus drive was killed and a policeman and a civilian woman were injured[12] as a group of Manaa's men attacked the car in which he was being transported to a penal court. This resulted in his trial being delayed by 25 days.[10][12] He was eventually released on June 4,[12] after which his relations with President Saleh soured.[4]
On March 19, Houthi rebels attacked the city of Sa'dah,[14] starting a battle with pro-government al-Abdin tribesmen,[4] led by Yemeni MP Sheikh Othman Majali.[15] During the battle rebels joined forces with Fares Mana'a[10] and after their victory[4][15] set up a local committee, composed of rebels, residents and defected military commanders[16] which appointed him as the new governor of Sa'dah on March 26, after pro-Saleh governor Taha Hajer fled to Sana'a.[4][15] He now leads the Houthi movement's independent administration in Sa'dah governorate.[15]