The financiers and facilitators of a jihadist group operating in Africa have been slammed with sanctions by the US government, according to a Washinton announcement issued on Monday.
The Jihadist group Islamic State (IS) organization operating in Africa is at the forefront.
The three individuals targeted are involved in financing and providing logistical support to the jihadist group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and South Africa, according to a statement from the U.S. Treasury Department.
“This joint action demonstrates our shared commitment to disrupting the ability of ISIS and other terrorist groups to access the international financial system, wherever they operate,” said Bradley T. Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Intelligence.
Among those sanctioned is DRC-based Hamidah Nabagala, accused of facilitating ISIS financial flows in Central Africa.
She is notably suspected of financing the October 2021 Kampala attack, which left one person dead and several others injured. Nabagala also allegedly attempted to send her children to ISIS-affiliated camps in the DRC.
Zayd Gangat, a South African national, is described as a trainer and facilitator for ISIS. US authorities allege criminal activities such as kidnapping for ransom, theft, and extortion to fund the group’s operations in the region.
The third individual designated is Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, the leader of ISIS in Somalia since 2019. He is accused of playing a key role in transferring fighters, supplies, and weapons for the group.
According to U.S. Treasury estimates, the Somali branch of ISIS generated up to $2.5 million in 2021 and $2 million in the first half of 2022, primarily through extortion.
These sanctions, decided under US Executive Order 13224, notably result in the freezing of the assets of the persons targeted under US jurisdiction and the prohibition of any transactions with US entities.
