US designates the chief financier of ISIS in Somalia

WASHINGTON - In a deliberate move to help Somalia in fighting terrorism, the US Department of Treasury has designated a chief financier of the ISIS-Somalia terror group, which has been making inroads in the Horn of Africa, despite the rivalry with Al-Shabaab militants.

Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, has been the head of the IS-Somalia revenue department, and the money collected through extortion is used by the group to support violent extremism across Africa, the Treasury Department noted in a statement published on Thursday.

The financier, the statement noted, has been targeting businesses and financial institutions at times mobile money transfer firms, in a bid to raise revenue to support the group's activities. The ISIS Somalia militants swore allegiance to the ISIS group which is dominant in the Middle East.

"The United States is designating Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf, the head of finance for ISIS-Somalia, an ISIS affiliate in Africa that generates revenue ISIS distributes across the continent," read the statement.

"ISIS-Somalia engages in extortion of financial institutions, local businesses, and mobile money service providers, exploiting vulnerabilities in Somalia’s institutions to finance its activities, including through mobile money and hawala."

The US maintained that it remains committed to using "our authorities" in support of the Federal Government of Somalia and its efforts to counter terrorist financing activities that undermine Somalia’s national security and threaten regional stability.

ISIS-Somalia is dominant in Puntland state, particularly in Golis mountains and their activities have often extended to Bosaso, Puntland's commercial capital along the Indian Ocean. The group's activities were neutralized following its rivalry with more sophisticated Al-Shabaab militants, who are close allies of Al-Qaeda.

The designation is part of the US commitment to help curb violent extremism in Africa, and in the past, suspected terrorists and financiers have faced similar sanctions. The government of Somalia has intensified the fight against Al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia, with the second phase of operations set for the next few months.

GAROWE ONLINE