U.S. Department of the Treasury
Office of Public Affairs
Press Release: Wednesday, May 24
Contact:Treasury Public Affairs, Press@Treasury.gov
Treasury Designates Terror Operatives and Illicit Charcoal Smugglers in Somalia.
WASHINGTON Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) targeted 26 individuals and entities connected with the terrorist group al
Shabaab, including15 financial facilitators and operatives, four alShabaab charcoal smugglers,and seven of their associated companies.
This action targets keyregionalleaders, affiliates,and
members of the terroristgroup in Somalia who are involved ina wide range of activities in
support of al-Shabaab including financial facilitation, business activities, taxation on behalf of.the terrorist group, proliferation ofImprovised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and illegal charcoal.smuggling from Somalia, all ofwhich have exacerbated local conflictsand suffering.
“Today’s designations underscore this Administration’s dynamic relationship with the Somali,Government to counter the terrorist threats that undermine stability and security in Somalia,”
said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E.Nelson.
“This action targets regional and international actors that have provided funds, directed attacks,and facilitated materiel for al-Shabaab’s malign activities, ranging from manufacturing and,planting explosives in local communities to fostering corruption.”
These OFAC actions are taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.)13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters, and E.O. 13536 as amended which targets actors who directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Somalia. Concurrent with Treasury’s designations, the U.S. Department of State designated five al-Shabaab leaders pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for their leadership roles within al-Shabaab.
Al-Shabaab Fundraising and Operational Networks in Somalia.
The alShabaab associated individuals designated today have served as key regional leaders and members of the terrorist group in the Lower Shabelle, Lower Juba, and Middle Juba regions of Somalia.
They have been involved in extensive revenue generation and other activities in support
of al-Shabaab through the illegal fee collections from local Somalis, coercing local residents to follow al-Shabaab’s directions through its illegitimate “police force,”known as the Hisbah kidnappings, and facilitating the manufacture and placement of IEDs. The illicit activities of the alShabaab members designated today have generated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars to support al-Shabaab operations and weapons procurement in southern Somalia.
Amid ongoing drought, food insecurity, and violent instability, money that is being collected by al-Shabaab could instead be used to help local Somalis sustain themselves through these challenges.
The following are 15 Somalia based alShabaab regional leaders and financial facilitators who are being designated pursuant to Treasury’s counterterrorism authority:
Hasaan Abshir Xuuroow(Xuuroow)is an al-Shabaab intelligence and finance officer who has led a group of other al-Shabaab associates to collect mandatory“donations” from civilians in Kismayo, Somalia. Xuuroow has taken livestock from owners as donations for alShabaab, later auctioning them off to make a profit for personal financial gain.
Aadan Yusuf Saciid Ibrahim(Ibrahim)is an al-Shabaab mandatory donations collector in
Lower Shabelle, Somalia. Specifically, Ibrahim has been responsible for enforcing the collection of fees associated with livestock and market sales. Ibrahim has levied heavy charges on behalf of al-Shabaab but retains at least of those profits for his own personal enrichment As of early 2022, Mumin (Dheere) was the deputy emir of Wayanta, Lower Juba, Somalia. Dheere has coordinated retaliatory attacks for alShabaab by targeting Somali and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) security forces,and has planned to use vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and mortars in the attacks. Separately, Dheere has also planned to attack Kismayo International Airport.
Macalin Burhan (Burhan) was appointed as the alShabaab Hisbah Commander of the
Wayanta area in Lower Juba, Somalia, in late 2021. As recently as mid2022, alShabaab had imprisoned more than 80 civilians in the Wayanta area. Burhan, in his position as the al-Shabaab regional Hisbah Commander, has refused to release the civilians.
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