The United States government is offering a jaw-dropping bounty of $10 million to anyone who can lead them to Ahmed Diriye, also known as Ahmed Umar or Abu Ubaidah. Who knew information could be this lucrative?
So, who’s Ahmed Diriye, you ask? Well, he’s a high-ranking member of Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
According to the State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program, Abu Ubaidah (yes, he has multiple names) currently wears the crown as the leader of Al-Shabaab. He got there after the former Al-Shabaab leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, passed away.
Abu Ubaidah wasn’t just a random recruit; he was part of Godane’s inner circle. That’s like being best friends with the boss, only in this case, the “office” is a terrorist organization.
The U.S. government isn’t giving away $10 million for nothing, though. They’ve linked Abu Ubaidah to various attacks across East Africa, including Kenya. Apparently, this guy has quite the rap sheet.
“Under his leadership, AS terrorists have conducted attacks in Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, and Djibouti that have resulted in the death of hundreds of individuals,” says the U.S. State Department. So, yeah, he’s a big deal in the world of not-so-nice individuals.
Before stepping into Godane’s shoes, Abu Ubaidah had quite the career within Al-Shabaab. He was Godane’s assistant, a deputy governor of a region in Somalia, and even had a go at being a governor in other regions.
In 2013, he became a senior adviser to Godane and was promoted to oversee Al-Shabaab’s domestic activities. Imagine putting that on your LinkedIn profile.
And here’s the kicker: Abu Ubaidah shares Godane’s vision for Al-Shabaab’s terrorist attacks, as part of Al-Qaeda’s grand global plan. They don’t just think locally; they think globally, just like a terrorist Starbucks.
In 2015, the U.S. Department of State gave Abu Ubaidah the special title of “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” It sounds important, but it also means that all his U.S. assets are blocked, and no American is allowed to play Monopoly with him. Tough luck.
In case you’re wondering, Al-Shabaab has also been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Basically, they’re the bad guys who get all the labels, like a really, really terrible wine.
So, if you know where Abu Ubaidah is hiding, it’s time to cash in on that $10 million carrot. But remember, this isn’t a game of hide-and-seek; it’s a game of hide-and-seek with a massive prize.
