The U.S. Department of State has announced a $5 million reward for any information leading to the identification and location of Abukar Ali Adan, regarded by the United States as the deputy leader of al-Shabab.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Abukar Ali Adan led al-Shabab’s armed branch, Jabhat, for several years before assuming command of the entire organization.
Abukar Ali Adan was designated as a terrorist by the United States and subjected to international sanctions. According to the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, Abukar Ali Adan’s links to jihadism date back to the early 2000s when he was involved in business. He helped finance Islamic courts, from which al-Shabab emerged as the most radical faction.
Hailing from the Hiran region in central Somalia, near the Ethiopian border, Abukar Ali Adan also served as al-Shabab’s governor in the Lower Juba region in 2009 before joining Jabhat.