The United States has designated the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-Somalia network of arms dealers, their associates and an affiliate for facilitating the transfer of weapons to the terrorist group, as well as Osama Abdelmongy Abdalla Bakr, an ISIS supporter, to Brazil. In 2016, senior ISIS leaders directed Bakra to procure weapons and military equipment for the terrorist group.
The ISIS-Somalia network operates primarily between Yemen and Somalia and is linked to other terrorist groups, including al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and al-Shabaab. Many of the relevant individuals are also involved in other illegal activities, including piracy and environmental crimes, demonstrating their integration with illegal networks operating in the region.
The State Department designated ISIS-Somalia on February 27, 2018, as well as Abdiqadr Mumin, the leader of ISIS-Somalia, on August 11, 2016, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists pursuant to Executive Order 13224. ISIS is increasingly seeking to generate. income in East Africa. ISIS-Somalia, which continues to carry out terrorist attacks on civilians, derives much of its funding from extorting funds from local communities and recruiting. The group punishes, intimidates and kills Somali businessmen and civilians who do not support it financially or provide supplies.
For more information on today’s action, see the Treasury Department’s press release.
