THE US State Department on Thursday launched a reward programme offering up to $5 million for any information that leads to the whereabouts and capture of Abukar Ali Adan, the deputy leader of the Somalia-based militant organisation, al-Shabaab.
The Rewards for Justice programme’s announcement read, ‘Up to $5 million for Info on Abukar Ali Adan. Help us find this terrorist key leader. Help us stop this terrorist key leader.’
Abukar Ali Adan was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the Department of State in January 2018, invoking Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. This executive order imposes stringent sanctions on foreign individuals found to have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
Since its establishment in 2006, al-Shabaab has been responsible for a multitude of attacks across Africa, with a particular focus on Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya. Among the group’s heinous acts was the July 11, 2010, suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which resulted in over 70 casualties, including one American citizen.
In 2013, al-Shabaab orchestrated a devastating attack on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall, leaving more than 60 people dead and nearly 200 wounded.
The United States took action against al-Shabaab in 2008 when it designated the group as a foreign terrorist organisation. This latest reward initiative underscores the US government’s commitment to dismantling terrorist networks and bringing those responsible for acts of terror to justice.
