September 5, 2018: OFAC adds terrorist entity

The Department of State has designated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Department has also designated JNIM as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.

 

Today’s designations seek to deny JNIM the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks. Among other consequences, all of JNIM’s property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with JNIM. It is a crime to knowingly provide, or to attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to JNIM.

 

JNIM has described itself as al-Qaida’s official branch in Mali, and it has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks and kidnappings since it was formed in March 2017. JNIM carried out the June 2017 attack at a resort frequented by Westerners outside of Bamako, Mali; several deadly attacks on Malian troops; and the large-scale coordinated attacks in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on March 2, 2018. JNIM is led by Iyad ag Ghaly, a U.S.-designated SDGT. 

 

The Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, noted that “Al-Qaida and its affiliates like JNIM remain deadly threats to the United States and our allies. These designations are part of our continuing efforts to squeeze al-Qaida’s finances, denying it the resources it needs to carry out attacks.”

 

Today’s designations notify the U.S. public and the international community that JNIM is a terrorist organization. Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments.

 

A list of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/index.htm.