US designates ISIS Somali leader as global ‘terrorist’
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA): The US Treasury Department has designated Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, the leader of the ISIS group based in Somalia, as a “global terrorist”.
According to the US, Yusuf has played a key role in the delivery of foreign fighters, supplies, and ammunition on behalf of the group, which serves as a hub for disbursing funds and guidance to ISIS branches and networks across the African continent.
The ISIS-affiliated group in Somalia generates much of its revenue through extortion, specifically targeting local communities for money and recruits, often under the threat of violence, according to a statement issued by the Treasury Department.
“Terrorist groups, and ISIS-Somalia specifically, seek to exploit institutional vulnerabilities to finance their activities. The sanctions imposed today demonstrate the U.S. commitment to leveraging our authorities in support of our partners, including the Federal Government of Somalia, in their efforts to counter terrorist financing and strengthen national and regional stability and security,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.
Nelson was in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday and met with President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud.
“They discussed Somalia-U.S. cooperation in countering the financing of terrorism, debt relief under the HIPIC program, and the ongoing offensive against al-Shabaab,” the Somali presidency said in a separate statement.
In November last year, the US imposed sanctions on the ISIS Somalia weapons trafficking network and senior members of the group.
Earlier this year, a US airstrike in Somalia killed ISIS leader Suhayl Salim Abd El-Rahman, also known as Bilal al-Sudani.
The violent group, which is active in Somalia’s mountainous Bari region, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in the Horn of Africa nation.
In 2018, the US State Department designated ISIS in Somalia as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab and ISIS being among the main threats.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
