On Monday, November 14., The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is increasing its reward offers to up to $10 million each for information leading to the identification or location of Al-Shabaab key leaders Ahmed Diriye, Mahad Karate, and Jehad Mostafa.
Reward offers for information on the key leaders of Al-Shabaab Ahmed Diriye and the disruption of the group’s financial mechanisms, a move that follows a spate of deadly attacks by the Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist group.
Al-Shabaab terrorists have scaled up attacks in the Somali capital Mogadishu and other parts of the country in the face of a widescale offensive against the group by the new government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with support of allied partner forces.
The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) said it was offering up to $10 million each for information leading to the identification of Al-Shabaab “emir” (Leader) Ahmed Diriye, second-in-command Mahad Karate and Jehad Mostafa, a US citizen who is said to hold various roles in the terrorist group.
These key leaders of Al-Shabaab are responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Somalia, Kenya and neighboring countries that have killed thousands of people,” said a poster issued by the US with pictures of the three men.
Ahmed Diriye, Al-Shabaab’s leader since September 2014, was designated by the Department as an SDGT on April 21, 2015 and by the UNSC’s Somalia Sanctions Committee on September 24, 2014.
Mahad Karate was designated by the Department as an SDGT on April 21, 2015 and by the UNSC’s Somalia Sanctions Committee on February 26, 2021.
Jehad Mostafa is a U.S. citizen and former resident of California. Mostafa has served as a military instructor at Al-Shabaab training camps, a leader of foreign fighters, a leader in al-Shabaab’s media wing, an intermediary between Al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations, and a leader in al-Shabaab’s use of explosives in terrorist attacks.
US also seeks information leading to disruption of Somalia-based group’s finances as it intensifies attacks in the recent weeks.
Rewards for Justice – Reward Offers for Information on Key Leaders of Al-Shabaab
