US issues Ksh.570M for information on key Al-Shabaab mastermind

According to a notice issued by the Rewards for Justice program of the United States Department of State on Sunday, Jehad Serwan Mostafa, alias Ahmed Gurey, is a U.S. citizen and a key leader of the terrorist organization.

“He leads AS operations, trains recruits, and directs terrorist attacks in Somalia and East Africa,” read the notice.

Mostafa, also known as Anwar al-Amriki and Emir Anwa, is also on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list.

The 41-year-old attended college in San Diego, California, before moving to Somalia in 2005. 

It is believed he participated in attacks against Ethiopian forces before joining al-Shabaab in approximately 2008. 

Mostafa is said to be a high-ranking figure in the terror group, serving key roles “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 government further linked him to planning operations directed against the Somali government and internationally-supported African Union forces in Somalia and East Africa.

He was charged in 2009 with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, providing material support to al-Shabaab, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

In 2019, a superseding indictment unsealed in U.S. federal court charged Mostafa with terrorism-related offenses.

The Rewards for Justice program has appealed to anyone with information regarding Mostafa’s whereabouts to reach out via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp number +1-202-702-7843.