The United States government on Monday put sanctions on 14 men, including six it accused of running a network that engages in weapons procurement, financial facilitation and recruitment for the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
“Treasury is focused on identifying and disrupting al Shabaab’s illicit networks operating in Eastern Africa,” Brian Nelson, the Treasury’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said. “We will continue to take action against the weapons smuggling and fundraising activities of al Shabaab and other (Al-Qaeda) affiliates.”
Abdullahi Jeeri, Khalif Adale, Hassan Afgoye, Abdikarim Hussein Gagaale, Abdi Samad and Abdirahman Nurey are the six men named by the US Treasury, who were designated under Executive Order 13224, which targets terror organizations and their supporters.
The Treasury also imposed sanctions on three men – Ahmed Hassan Ali Sulaiman Mataan, Mohamed Ali Badaas and Mohamed Hussein Salad – alleging that they are part of an Al-Shabaab smuggling and weapons trafficking network in Yemen.
Again under the same executive order, Treasury said the State Department had sanctioned five Al-Shabaab figures: Mohamed Mire, Yasir Jiis, Yusuf Ahmed Hajji Nurow, Mustaf Ato and Mohamed Abdi Adan.