In a decisive move to disrupt global terrorist financing networks, the United States and its partners at the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) have jointly sanctioned three key ISIS facilitators operating in Africa. The designations aim to curtail the group’s ability to fund and coordinate operations across the continent.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the action during the 20th meeting of the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), reaffirming international resolve to dismantle ISIS’s financial infrastructure.
Key Individuals Sanctioned
1. Zayd Gangat (South Africa):
A known ISIS facilitator and trainer, Gangat has been linked to various criminal activities including robbery, extortion, and kidnappings used to fund ISIS operations in South Africa. He was designated under Executive Order 13224, as amended, for materially supporting the terror group.
2. Hamidah Nabagala (Democratic Republic of the Congo):
Nabagala is accused of acting as a financial intermediary for ISIS in Central Africa and has been linked to the 2021 Kampala bombing. She also allegedly attempted to traffic her children to ISIS-affiliated camps in the DRC. Like Gangat, she was sanctioned under E.O. 13224.
3. Abdiweli Mohamed Yusuf (Somalia):
Leader of ISIS-Somalia since 2018, Yusuf has played a crucial role in moving foreign fighters, weapons, and funds across the region. His branch reportedly generated over $4.5 million through extortion and illicit dealings between 2021 and mid-2022. He was sanctioned in July 2023.
Global Counterterrorism Collaboration
This latest round of sanctions—TFTC’s eighth—demonstrates the center’s ongoing efforts to strengthen financial security through intelligence sharing and coordinated actions among member states, including the U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Bradley Smith, Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, emphasized the importance of unified action:
“Today’s joint action underscores our shared commitment to disrupting the ability of ISIS and other terrorist groups to access the international financial system wherever they seek to operate.”
Smith reiterated continued efforts in joint sanctions, information exchange, and capacity building to counter terrorist financing on a global scale.
About TFTC:
Established in 2017, the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center brings together the United States and GCC countries to enhance collaboration in identifying, tracking, and disabling the financial networks that sustain terrorism.
