US Imposes New Sanctions On Boko Haram Factional Leader Al-Barnawi

The United States of America has imposed new sanctions on Boko Haram and its factional leader Mus’ab al-Barnawi.

The new sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department targets the Islamic State and its affiliate networks around the world.

The U.S. department added Boko Haram, also known as ISIS-West Africa, to the sanction list for global terrorism.

Al-Barnawi, who was the spokesperson for Boko Haram before the group pledged allegiance to ISIL, and Mahad Moalim from Somalia and seven organisations in Africa and Asia, linked to Islamic state (ISIS), were added to the list.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said the additions include ISIS-Philippines, ISIS-Bangladesh, ISIS-West Africa, ISIS-Egypt, ISIS-Somalia, Jund al-Khilafah-Tunisia, also known as ISIS-Tunisia, and the Philippines-based Maute Group, also known as Islamic State of Lanao.

Reuters reports that the U.S. State Department, in a separate statement, said that it had designated 40 Islamic State leaders and operatives dating back to 2011 under an order aimed at denying them access to the U.S. financial system, including the latest additions.

“These designations are part of a larger comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS that, in coordination with the 75-member Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, has made significant progress toward that goal.

“This effort is destroying ISIS in its safe havens, denying its ability to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, stifling its financial resources, negating the false propaganda it disseminates over the internet and social media, and helping to stabilise liberated areas in Iraq and Syria so the displaced can return to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives,” the statement added.