SOMALIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What happened On 13 October Somalia’s national anti-money laundering committee added 10 people to its targeted financial sanctions list over suspected financial support for al-Shabaab.
- —Who is listed The list is led by Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed “Laftagareen”, president of South West State from 2018 until federal forces took its capital, Baidoa, in March 2026. It also includes Mahad Abdirahman Adan “Shub”, a former commander of the prisons force.
- —What it does Banks, money transfer firms and everyone in Somalia must freeze the ten’s assets, refuse to deal with them and report their transactions to the Financial Reporting Center.
- —The evidence The two-page decision cites assessed data and evidence of financial support for al-Shabaab, but it does not set out the case against any individual.
- —The US link The United States has listed al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization since 2008, and none of the ten is on the US Treasury’s sanctions list.
- —The backdrop Forces loyal to Laftagareen have fought the new administration around Baidoa for months, and he and his allies deny working with al-Shabaab. His camp called the listing an act of revenge.
Somalia’s federal government has ordered the assets of Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, known as Laftagareen, the former president of South West State, and nine others frozen over suspected financial links to al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked insurgency that Washington lists as a terrorist organization. The decision, issued in Mogadishu on 13 October by the National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Committee, orders banks, money transfer firms and everyone in Somalia to freeze their property and cut off all dealings with them.
Hiiraan Online, a Somali news site, called the move a significant escalation, because it carries the federal government’s fight with Laftagareen’s camp from the battlefield into the financial system. For foreign readers it matters because al-Shabaab is a US-designated terrorist group, and the list now reaches men who held senior office in Somalia until this year.
What the Decision Says
The two-page decision, reference GQKL/LMA/004/2026 and written in Somali, says the committee acted under Article 6 of Somalia’s targeted financial sanctions law and Article 7 of its regulations. It says the committee reviewed data, information and evidence on people suspected of belonging to, being linked to or working with al-Shabaab, and of providing or facilitating money for terrorism.
Having found sufficient legal grounds, the committee added the ten names to the national targeted financial sanctions list. Reporting institutions under the anti-money laundering law, Somali citizens and anyone else in Somalia are now barred from dealing with them, must freeze any assets they hold and must report their transactions urgently to the Financial Reporting Center (FRC), the country’s financial intelligence unit.
The decision warns that any economic link to the ten, or any help in moving their money, is banned, and that violators will face the counter-terrorism laws in force. It does not describe the evidence against any individual, and it does not say whether those listed can appeal.
Who Is on the List
Besides Laftagareen, the list names Mahad Abdirahman Adan, known as Shub, a former commander of the Custodial Corps, Somalia’s prisons force, who was dismissed in March. It also names Hassan Abdulkadir Mohamed, described by the Somali outlet Goobjoog as South West’s former security minister, and Ibrahim Adan Ali, known as Najah, whom Goobjoog describes as a former governor of Lower Shabelle.
Goobjoog identifies Hassan Abdi Mohamed, known as Ugaas Hassan, as a former South West spokesman and Abdullahi Ali Watiin as a former mayor of Baidoa. The remaining four are Abdifatah Mahad Abdirahman, Abdimajid Mowlid Hassan, Amiin Mad Daruur and Abshir Aden Isak, whose roles the decision does not give.
The Somali news site Caasimada reported that members of the group are based on the outskirts of Baidoa and in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The Rio Times could not confirm their locations independently.
Why Laftagareen Matters
South West State is one of Somalia’s federal member states, a regional government with its capital in Baidoa, inland from Mogadishu. Laftagareen was elected its president in 2018 and held power until March 2026, when federal forces took Baidoa after a long dispute with the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Forces loyal to him have since attacked Baidoa repeatedly, with heavy clashes in August and September, and Horseed Media reported on 9 October that they had taken Qansaxdheere district, about 90 kilometres southwest of Baidoa. The federal government has accused his fighters of operating alongside al-Shabaab, which Laftagareen and his allies deny.
The new South West administration, led by Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, known as Madoobe, had already put Laftagareen and members of his former government on its own terrorism list, Horseed reported. The federal list goes further, because it binds every reporting bank and money transfer company in the country.
Laftagareen’s camp rejected the listing within hours. Ugaas Hassan Abdi Mohamed, his spokesman and one of the ten, told Caasimada that the government was using the country’s financial system for revenge, while Abdullahi Aden Kulane, a member of the federal parliament, said state institutions were being turned against political rivals.
What It Means for US Readers
The United States designated al-Shabaab a foreign terrorist organization in March 2008, and the Treasury’s sanctions list names the group and more than 40 people and companies linked to it. None of the ten names announced on Tuesday appears on that US list, so the Somali freeze binds institutions in Somalia rather than American banks.
It does reach money sent home by Somalis abroad, including from the United States, if it is routed to any of the ten through a bank or money transfer company in Somalia. Such firms must now block those payments and report them to the FRC.
The case also raises a question that matters to Somalia’s Western partners: whether the new tools are aimed at al-Shabaab’s money or at the government’s political rivals. The committee’s decision gives no evidence that would let outsiders judge.
Who Is Who
The National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Committee is a multi-institutional body chaired by the finance minister and set up under Somalia’s 2016 anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing act. The Financial Reporting Center is the country’s financial intelligence unit, which receives reports from banks and money transfer firms.
Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group that has fought Somalia’s government since the late 2000s. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been Somalia’s president since 2022, and his government has been in open conflict with Laftagareen’s camp since the federal takeover of Baidoa in March.
What Is Not Known
The committee has not published the evidence against any of the ten, and it is not known whether any of them hold assets that banks can actually freeze. It is also unclear whether those listed can challenge the decision, and through which procedure.
Laftagareen and Mahad Shub had not commented in person by Wednesday morning, as far as the Rio Times could find. It is not known whether the United States or the United Nations will consider similar measures.
What Comes Next
Banks and money transfer firms in Somalia must now check their records for the ten and report any dealings to the FRC. The next signs to watch are whether any frozen funds are announced and whether the fighting around Baidoa eases or spreads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Somalia sanction?
Ten people, led by Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed “Laftagareen”, the former president of South West State, and Mahad Abdirahman Adan “Shub”, a former prisons-force commander. The national anti-money laundering committee added them to its list on 13 October 2026.
What do the sanctions do?
Anyone in Somalia, including banks and money transfer firms, must freeze the ten’s assets and stop dealing with them. Their transactions must be reported to the Financial Reporting Center.
Why were they sanctioned?
The committee says it assessed evidence of suspected financial support for al-Shabaab. It has not published that evidence, and Laftagareen and his allies have denied working with the group.
Are they on the US sanctions list?
No, none of the ten appears on the US Treasury’s sanctions list as of 14 October 2026. Al-Shabaab itself has been a US-designated foreign terrorist organization since 2008.
Sources: National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Committee (NAMLC), Liiska Cunaqabateynta Maaliyadeed, ref. GQKL/LMA/004/2026, 13 October 2026 (Somali), NAMLC, About the committee, Somalia Financial Reporting Center, US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, US Treasury OFAC, Specially Designated Nationals list, checked 14 October 2026, Hiiraan Online (Somali), 13 October 2026, Hiiraan Online (English), 13 October 2026, Goobjoog (Somali), 13 October 2026, Caasimada (Somali), 13 October 2026, Caasimada (Somali), reaction of Laftagareen’s camp, 13 October 2026, Horseed Media (Somali), 13 October 2026, Horseed Media, Qansaxdheere, October 2026, Garowe Online, 13 October 2026. All retrieved 14 October 2026. Translations from Somali by the Rio Times.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief