The United States government is offering a bounty of up to Ksh570 million ($5 million) for anyone with actionable information on Jehad Serwan Mostafa, alias Ahmed Gurey, said to be the mastermind of the Somali-based terror group Alshabaab.
In a notice put up by the Rewards for Justice program of the United States Department of State on Sunday, Mostafa, a U.S. citizen is a key leader who has issued directions to terrorist attacks in Africa.
“He leads AS operations, trains recruits, and directs terrorist attacks in Somalia and East Africa,” part of the notice read.
According to the US government, the 41-year-old, who is also on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list is a college graduate said to have moved from San Diego, California to Somalia in 2005.
He is also believed to have participated in attacks against Ethiopian forces before joining Al-Shabaab around 2008.
“With al-Shabaab, Mostafa has functioned in many critical capacities, including serving as a military instructor at the group’s training camps, leading foreign fighters, operating in the group’s media wing, acting as an intermediary between al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations, and leading the group’s use of explosives in terrorist attacks,” the US State Department Rewards for Justice added.
Mostafa continues to play a critical role in planning operations directed against the Somali government and internationally-supported African Union forces in Somalia and East Africa.
“As a result, Mostafa continues to pose a direct threat to U.S. forces, civilians, and interests,” the State Department said.
On October 9, 2009, Mostafa was indicted in the Southern District of California on charges of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to provide material support to al-Shabaab, and providing material support to al-Shabaab according to the State Department.
On December 2, 2019, a superseding indictment unsealed in U.S. federal court charged Mostafa with terrorism-related offences.
Anyone with information regarding Mostafa’s whereabouts has been asked to reach out via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp number +1-202-702-7843.
