Washington: The Obama administration is blacklisting six people, including two senior Eritrean military officers, for their roles in allegedly supporting the radical Islamist al-Shabab group in Somalia.
The Treasury Department announced the sanctions Thursday under an executive order that can impose punitive measures on individuals deemed to threaten peace, security or stability in Somalia. The sanctions freeze any assets the men have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from conducting business with them.
The six are accused of providing financial and logistical support to al Shabab, an al Qaeda affiliate designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.
The Treasury named Eritrean colonel Tewolde Habte Negash as an intelligence officer who “funnels money to” groups opposed to Somalia’s struggling transitional federal government.
The other Eritrean is Col. Taeme Abraham Goitom, named as a key player in the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, which is also fighting the transitional federal government.
A third figure is Suhayl Salim Abd-El-Rahman, also called Abu Faris, whom the Treasury said was a “Somalia-based Sudanese extremist” who aids foreign fighters that want to join up with the Shebab.
Kenyans Aboud Rogo Mohammed, an Islamic cleric; Omar Awadh Omar and Abubaker Shariff Ahmed were also named as important facilitators and recruiters for Shebab.
Omar is jailed in Uganda awaiting trial for his alleged role in the attack on World Cup fans watching a match in Kampala on July 11, 2010. Shebab claimed responsibility for the attack, which left 74 dead.
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