WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US on Tuesday issued sanctions focusing on Islamic State in Somalia, designating members of the group and others it accused of being concerned in a “terrorist weapons trafficking community” in Jap Africa.
The U.S. Treasury Division in a press release stated a number of of the folks designated in Tuesday’s motion have offered weapons to or had been energetic al Shabaab members.
The al Qaeda-linked Islamist group claimed duty for 2 automobile bombs that exploded exterior the schooling ministry in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday, killing not less than 120 folks within the deadliest blasts since a truck bomb killed greater than 500 folks on the identical location 5 years in the past.
Tuesday’s motion comes as Washington seeks to extend deal with exposing and disrupting terrorist financing networks in Africa, a senior Treasury official advised reporters.
Whereas Tuesday’s transfer is the primary from Treasury focusing on Islamic State in Somalia, the official stated extra motion is predicted in coming weeks and months as the US seeks to show and disrupt terrorist financing in Africa.
The U.S. State Division in 2018 designated Islamic State in Somalia a Specifically Designated International Terrorist.
The Treasury stated the Islamic State in Somalia “generally works with different terrorist organizations” resembling al Shabaab and Somali pirates and smuggling teams.
These designated on Tuesday embrace Abdirahman Mohamed Omar, whom the Treasury accused of being an ISIS-Somalia member and, as of 2020, thought-about probably the most energetic illicit arms importer in Puntland state in Somalia.
Additionally designated was Isse Mohamoud Yusuf, who Treasury stated is an ISIS-Somalia weapons and logistics facilitator in Bari in Puntland and an arms smuggler; Abdirahman Fahiye Isse Mohamud, who it stated is an ISIS-Somalia emir; and Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye, who Treasury stated is the pinnacle of the Amniyat, al Shabaab’s intelligence wing, amongst others.
The transfer freezes any of their U.S. belongings and customarily bars People from coping with them. People who interact in sure transactions with these designated on Tuesday additionally danger being hit with sanctions.
Treasury on Tuesday additionally designated what it stated was an important supporter of Islamic State in Brazil, accusing Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr of trying to function a liaison for the group.
(This story has been formally corrected to say that Amniyat is al Shabaab’s intelligence wing and never ISIS-Somalia’s)
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey; enhancing by Jonathan Oatis, William Maclean)
