The Terrorist Financing Targeting Center has designated three Africa-based personalities as facilitators of the ISIS militant group after each was found to have served as key financiers and operatives.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Zayd Gangat of South Africa, Hamidah Nabagala of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf of Somalia were identified as leaders responsible for ISIS operations in their respective nations.
Nabagala is alleged to be the financier of the October 2021 Kampala bombing, while Gangat is a facilitator and trainer in South Africa. Meanwhile, Yusuf continues to head ISIS’ affiliate group in Somalia and has been instrumental in delivering foreign fighters, supplies and ammunition to the extremist group’s branches and networks.
Formalized in May 2017, TFTC is a multilateral body that supports the initiative of the United States and six Mideast countries to paralyze terrorist operations by disrupting financial networks and related activities. It achieves its mission through information sharing, joint disruptive actions and capacity-building support.
“The United States, along with our TFTC partners, remains resolved to target the terrorist groups, their financiers and their facilitation networks that enable their deadly attacks and destabilizing activities around the globe,” said Bradley T. Smith, the Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.