Wednesday March 3, 2021
NAIROBI (HOL) - The UK has listed three senior Al-Shabaab leaders for asset freezes and financial sanctions following a UN resolution last week.
The UK Treasury Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced the revised list Tuesday which now makes 18 Somali individuals facing sanctions by the UK government.
The three are Abukar Ali Adan, the deputy leader of Al-Shabaab, Maalim Ayman identified as the founder of and leader of Jaysh Aymanan al-Shabaab unit know for conducting attacks and operations in Kenya and Somalia and long-serving Al-Shabaab operative Mahad Karate who has been instrumental in the group’s intelligence wing, Amniyat.
The sanctions “provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia,” the treasury department said.
It also targets those acting in violation of the general and complete arms embargo, obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia or that are involved in the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse, or a violation of international humanitarian law.
The Financial Sanctions Notice warns UK organisations and the public to freeze accounts held by the three and avoid dealing with funds associated with them.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution last week adding the three Al-Shabaab officials to their sanctions list.
Al-Shabaab has not been declared a terrorist group by the UN Security Council, unlike Taliban, Al-Qaeda and ISIL.