Overview
Musa Abu Dawud was a U.S.- designated senior leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The U.S. accused Dawud of leading terrorist attacks in North Africa as well as training and recruiting new members to the terror group. In 2012, Dawud was appointed commander of AQIM’s southern zone, which includes Algeria and Tunisia.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm;
Sahara-medias, “AQIM emir named Abu El Hammam in the Sahara region,”October 5, 2012, http://malijet.com/actualte_dans_les_regions_du_mali/rebellion_au_nord_du_mali/52962-aqmi-nomme-abu-el-hammam-emir-de-la-zone-du-sahara.html. In March 2018, Dawud was killed in a U.S. drone strike in southern Libya.Eric Schmitt, “American Drone Strike in Libya Kills Top Qaeda Recruiter,” New York Times, March 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/africa/us-drone-strike-libya-qaeda.html.
In February 2013, Dawud led a mission in Tunisia to recruit new members and train them in the use of weapons. He coordinated a February 4-5, 2013, attack on military barracks in Khenchela, Algeria, that injured numerous Algerian soldiers. He also organized a July 2013 attack on a Tunisian military patrol in the Mount Chaambi area that killed nine soldiers. “State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm.
On May 5, 2016, Dawud was designated by the U.S. State Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm. According to the narrative summary released by the U.S. State Department, Dawud began engaging in terrorist activity as early as 1992 as a member of the Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), a forerunner to AQIM.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm.
Over the weekend of March 24-25, 2018, the United States launched a drone strike on a house in Ubari, Libya, killing Dawud. The U.S. military confirmed that Dawud had been under surveillance “for a significant period of time” and was killed alongside another unidentified al-Qaeda fighter in the strike.Eric Schmitt, “American Drone Strike in Libya Kills Top Qaeda Recruiter,” New York Times, March 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/world/africa/us-drone-strike-libya-qaeda.html.
Following Dawud’s death, on May 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of State revoked Dawud’s designation as a SDGT.“Revocation of Five Foreign Terrorist Organizations Designations and the Delisting of Six Deceased Individuals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” U.S. Department of State, May 20, 2022, https://www.state.gov/revocation-of-five-foreign-terrorist-organizations-designations-and-the-delisting-of-six-deceased-individuals-as-specially-designated-global-terrorists.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- AQIM
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, non-state actor, religious, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Al-Qaeda affiliated group, Islamist, jihadist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Senior leader
Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, AQIM, operates in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The group has executed numerous violent attacks in North and West Africa. The group is also known for its extensive history of kidnapping and extortion.
History
United States
The U.S. Department of State designates “Musa Abu Dawud” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on May 5, 2016. Following Dawud’s death in 2018, the State Department revoked his designation as a SDGT on May 20, 2022.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Musa Abu Dawud,” U.S. Department of State, May 5, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/05/256921.htm; “Revocation of Five Foreign Terrorist Organizations Designations and the Delisting of Six Deceased Individuals as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” U.S. Department of State, May 20, 2022, https://www.state.gov/revocation-of-five-foreign-terrorist-organizations-designations-and-the-delisting-of-six-deceased-individuals-as-specially-designated-global-terrorists.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.