The United States of America, through Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering a reward of up to $10 million (Sh1.2 billion) for information leading to the arrest of any of them.
Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid out in excess of $250 million (Sh30.5 billion) to more than 125 people who provided actionable information that helped resolve threats to US national security.
Mahad Karate
- Born between 1957 and 1962
- Place of Birth: Xarardheere, Somalia
- Languages Spoken: Somali; Arabic; basic Swahili
- Associated Location: Somalia
- Aliases: Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame, Mahad Mohamed Ali Karate or Mahad Warsame Qalley Karate
- serves as al-Shabaab's shadow deputy leader.
- Has some command responsibility over the Amniyat, al-Shabaab's intelligence and security wing, as well as the group's finances.
- Amniyat plays a key role in the execution of suicide attacks and assassinations in Somalia, Kenya and other countries in the region
- Amniyat was responsible for the April 2015 attack on Garissa University College in Kenya that killed nearly 150 people
- U.S. Department of State on April 10, 2015 designated Karate as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Jehad Mostafa
- Date of Birth: December 28, 1981
- Place of Birth: Waukesha, Wisconsin, US
- Aliases: Emir Anwar; Ahmed Gurey; Anwar al-Amriki; Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir; "Ahmed"; "Anwar"
- He is a US citizen and former resident of California.
- Distinguishing Features: He is left-handed and has a distinctive scar on his right hand. He also wears a full beard and glasses.
- Languages Spoken: Arabic; English; Somali
- Associated Locations: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Yemen
- Lived and graduated from college in San Diego, California, before moving to Somalia in 2005
- Has served as a military instructor at al-Shabaab training camps
- He is a leader of foreign fighters and a leader in al-Shabaab's media wing
- He is an intermediary between al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations,
- Also a leader in al-Shabaab's use of explosives in terrorist attacks.
- In December 2019, he was indicted in federal court on charges of providing material support to al-Shabaab.
- The FBI assesses Mostafa to be the highest-ranking terrorist with US citizenship fighting overseas.
- It is believed he participated in attacks against Ethiopian forces before joining al-Shabaab in 2008
- He is on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists List.
- Believed to continue to play a critical role in planning operations directed against the Somali government and AU forces in Somalia and East Africa
Ahmed Diriye
- Date of Birth: 1972
- Place of birth: Somalia
- Associated Location: Somalia
- Aliases: Ahmed Diriye; Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah; Mahad Diriye; Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaidah; Sheikh Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah; Sheikh Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah; Sheikh Omar Abu Ubaidaha; Sheikh Ahmed Umar; Sheikh Mahad Omar Abdikarim; Ahmad Umar; Abu Diriye
- Serves as the leader of al-Shabaab-a position he has occupied since the death of former al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.
- He was part of Godane's inner circle at the time of Godane's death.
- Served in several positions within al-Shabaab, including as Godane's assistant,
- Was the deputy governor of the Lower Juba region of Somalia in 2008
- Was al-Shabaab's governor of the Bay and Bakool regions of Somalia in 2009.
- By 2013, he was a senior adviser to Godane, and served in al-Shabaab's "Interior Department"
- On April 21, 2015, the US Department of State designated him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Source: Rewards for Justice (RFJ), an interagency rewards program established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism
Compiled by Standard Checkpoint
