On Wednesday, the US Department of State announced via “Rewards For Justice” on Twitter a financial reward of seven million dollars for any information leading to the identification of the whereabouts of the new leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Abu Ubaydah Youssef al-Annabi.

REWARD! Up to $7 Million
For Info on AQIM Leader

Abu al-Anabi is the new leader of the terrorist group al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In 2009, AQIM killed U.S. citizen Christopher Leggett in Mauritania.

Help us bring AQIM leader al-Anabi to justice. Text us your info. pic.twitter.com/mfrEiN5Bio

— Rewards for Justice (@RFJ_USA) June 2, 2021

In another statement on its official website, the US State Department said that the Algerian wanted national, also known as Yazid Mubarak, became the leader of the organization in November 2020, succeeding his compatriot Abdelmalek Droukdel, who was killed in June 2020 in northern Mali by French forces.

The statement adds, “We encourage anyone with information on Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Annabi to text Rewards for Justice via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at +1-202-702-7843. All information will be kept strictly confidential.”

In this regard, The US Department of State pointed out that al-Annabi was previously “the leader AQIM’s Council of Notables and served on AQIM’s Shura Council. Al-Annabi has also served as AQIM’s Media Chief.”

The statement clarified that al-Annabi has been designated since September 2015 as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.” On February 29, 2016, he was placed on the United Nations (UNSCR 1267) sanctions list.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has won the loyalty of many jihadist groups active in the Sahel region, which have since 2017 joined under the banner of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

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The Polisario Front operates in mini terrorist groups, or within Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

The Director of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), Cherkaoui Habboub, revealed in an interview with “Jeune Afrique”, that more than 100 Polisario separatists are part of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

According to Habboub, “It has been proven that there is a mentality within the Tindouf camps and we have received ideological awareness by the camp imams, which is also a factor that made the Sahel region what it is today: a threat to Morocco as it is to other countries.”

The Director of the BCIJ indicated that in the face of the danger of these organizations, regional security cooperation is an indispensable condition for eliminating the existing threat, expressing his regret for the lack of cooperation with Algeria, and considering that it is dangerous matter, but also an obstacle that stands in the way of the efforts made by countries of the region and the rest of the world, in order to combat this phenomenon.

The official also stated that there is an Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), led by Adnane Abou Walid al-Sahraoui, born in Laayoune and a former active member of the “Polisario” front, who, during the years 2016-2020, adopted a number of terrorist operations in the region, adding that the United States is granting 5 million dollars to anyone who provides information leading to his location.

Regarding the Moroccan approach adopted to confront this threat, Habboub explained that since the bombings of May 16th, 2003, Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has adopted a comprehensive, integrated and multidimensional approach, in which vigilance and preemption are main pillars.

He emphasized that “these two principles are essential today in facing the threat in the Sahel region,” noting that, in addition to this, the return of Moroccan terrorist fighters “is one of the major challenges for the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations”, mentioning that 1,654 Moroccans have joined the Islamic State terrorist organization since its emergence in 2014, and that these individuals have received training in the manufacture of explosives and the preparation of lethal substances, among other things.

Regarding Moroccan cooperation in the field of combating terrorism, he affirmed that Morocco is fully committed to countering terrorism, along with its partners within the international coalition against terrorism, noting that this part of experience-sharing, exchange of information and the continuous security coordination, as well as the exchange in the field of training, pointing out that “a number of African officials received their training in Morocco.” These officials are mainly from as Mauritania, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Madagascar and Tanzania.

On a final note, Habboub described the outcome of the BCIJ as “extremely satisfactory.” Since its creation, 82 cells have been dismantled, of which 76 are linked to the Islamic State. In addition, 1,338 persons (14 women and 33 minors) were arrested, while 54 detainees have terrorism-related case histories.

The official concluded that “If we want to talk in general about the Moroccan outcome in the field of fighting terrorism, the Kingdom has managed to dismantle 209 cells since 2002. In 2020, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations was able to dismantle 8 terrorist cells.”

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Former Islamist terrorism-related detainee, Bouchta Charef, released a new video in which he revealed new facts about former detainee Jihadist Mohammed Hajeb, who has fled to Germany, indicating that Hajeb had ties to al-Qaeda where he had undergone training before entering Zaki prison in Salé.

Charef stated in the video he posted on his Facebook page, “I took this video to discredit to Hajeb’s fabrications; whenever he tells a lie, I will film a video to reveal his allegations to the Moroccan people”, calling on him to refrain from lying and desist from repudiating Islamic groups which he enjoys special relations with.

The former detainee addressed Hajeb saying: “Enough repudiating Islamic groups. You repudiated the Taliban, and you repudiated al-Qaeda that trained you. In prison, you used to say that you wanted to go to Chechnya. When I came to prison, I noticed that, although young, you were acting like leader Sheikhs; you knew how to teach others, you knew how to negotiate with the administration and when to go on a hunger strike, and this is how I knew that you had been previously trained in al-Qaeda camps.”

Charef promised Hajeb to reveal the truth behind my video in which he claimed he was tortured, and “the truth of my video, which you fabricated and filmed me,” highlighting in a different context that Hajeb considered Ousama Ben Laden an idol and was infatuated by him.

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Five months after its first leader since 2007 was killed, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has appointed one of its executives as successor to the Algerian Abdelmalek Droukdel.

In a video received by SITE Intelligence – the American agency specialized in the surveillance of jihadist groups and other terror attacks – AQIM announces the appointment of its new leader, the Algerian Abou Oubaïda Youssef al-Annabi, current chief of his “Council of Notables”, which acts as the steering committee of the jihadist group.

According to the American think-tank Counter Extremism Project (CEP), this former member of the GSPC group (Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat or “Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat”), registered on the American blacklist of “international terrorists” since September 2015, is also the leader of the media branch of AQIM and hence appears regularly in the group’s videos.

Following an operation carried by the France forces which are alongside Mali since 2012, the founder and historical leader of AQIM, Abdelmalek Droukdel was killed on June 3. Recently arrived from Algeria in northern Mali, the jihadist leader was accompanied by several of his relatives, executives of the organization he had founded in January 2007.

It’s good to note that AQIM has received allegiance from several jihadist groups still active in the Sahel since 2017 through the JNIM group (Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin) also called “GSIM” (Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans).

In the message published on 21/11/2020, AQIM also took a look back on the recent execution of a Swiss missionary (Béatrice Stockly) who was kidnapped since 2016, attributing the cause of her death to an attempt by the “French crusaders” to free her.

This new nomination should be another wakeup call towards the governments and security forces concerned by the AQIM operations (Mali precisely) as it’s of no use to cut a head if the snake has to grow another one faster and even add a new one. It has now been 8 great years that this war against terror has been going on in this area of the country and the death of the group’s leader should’ve been a solid opportunity for all the forces aimed at keeping peace in the region to strike harder.

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