Ahmad Diriye

Ahmad Diriye (Somali: Axmed Diriye, Arabic: أحمد ديري), also known as Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah, is the Emir of Somalia’s Islamist group Al-Shabaab. He was listed by the U.S. State Department as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in April 2015. The Rewards for Justice Program currently offers up to 10 million USD for information regarding him.[1]

For Sudanese-Norwegian visual artist and LGBT activist (1988-), see Ahmed Umar (artist).

Ahmad Diriye
Image of Ahmad Diriye taken from U.S. State Department
Born
Ahmad Umar

1972 (age 50–51)[1]
El Buur, Somalia
Other namesSheikh Ahmad Umar Abu Ubaidah, Sheikh Omar Abu Ubaidaha, Sheikh Ahmed Umar, Sheikh Mahad Omar Abdikarim, Abu Ubaidah, Abu Diriye, Diriye
Known forLeader of Al-Shabaab

History

Ahmad Diriye was born in 1972 in El Buur, Somalia.[2]

He is believed to be in his fifties and is a member of the Bajimaal section of the Dir clan from the Kismayo region of Somalia.[1]

Ahmad Diriye became the leader of al-Shabaab following the death of the group's former leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, in September 2014. Prior to replacing Godane, Diriye served in several positions within al-Shabaab, including as Godane's assistant, the deputy governor of Lower Juba region in 2008, and al-Shabaab's governor of Bay and Bakool regions in 2009. By 2013, he was a senior adviser to Godane and served in al-Shabaab's "Interior Department," where he oversaw the group's domestic activity. He shares Godane's vision for al-Shabaab's terrorist attacks in Somalia as an element of al-Qa’ida's greater global aspirations.[3]

He was named Al-Shabaab leader in September 2014, after Godane was killed by a U.S. airstrike.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Abu Ubaidah (Direye) - Wanted". Rewards for Justice. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  2. Goldman, David (20 June 2016). "Sheikh Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah Aka Ahmed Diriye; Al-Shabaab's Indifferent Takfiri Emir". Strategic Intelligence. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  3. "Terrorist Designations of Ahmed Diriye and Mahad Karate". U.S. Department of State. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  4. "Somalia Extremist Group Names New Leader". Associated Press. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
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