U.S. Targets West African Hostage Takers

Sanctions Target the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Terrorist GroupWASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two leaders of al-Qa’ida-aligned terrorist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) for hostage-taking of U.S. persons in West Africa. OFAC is designating these individuals pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14078, “Bolstering Efforts To Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home,” which targets those involved in, hostage-taking of a U.S. national or the wrongful detention of a U.S. national abroad. The Department of State concurrently designated five JNIM leaders pursuant to E.O. 14078, and designated two of these, as well as two additional leaders of JNIM, pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended.“JNIM relies on hostage-taking and wrongful detention of civilians in order to gain leverage and instill fear, creating anguish and misery for the victims and their families,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E.