The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of Mohamoud Abdi Aden and any other individual who committed, attempted or conspired to commit, or aided or abetted in the commission of the 2019 attack on the DusitD2 hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya.
On the afternoon of January 15, 2019, gunmen with the al-Shabaab terrorist group, armed with explosives, automatic weapons, and grenades, attacked the DusitD2 commercial center, a 6-building complex of shops, offices, and a hotel. At least 21 people, including one U.S. citizen, were killed in the assault.
Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of the al-Qa'ida terrorist organization, released live updates throughout the attack and issued a press release in which it stated that the attack was in response to guidance from now deceased al-Qa'ida leader Ayman Zawahiri.
Mohamoud Abdi Aden, aka Mohamud Abdirahman, an al-Shabaab leader, was part of the cell that planned the Dusit2 Hotel attack. In October 2022, the Department of State designated Aden as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.
Al-Shabaab is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Kenya, Somalia, and neighboring countries that have killed thousands of people, including U.S. citizens. The terrorist group continues to plot, plan, and conspire to commit terrorist acts against the United States, U.S. interests, and foreign partners.
The Department of State designated al-Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in March 2008. In April 2010, al-Shabaab was also designated by the UN Security Council's Somalia Sanctions Committee pursuant to paragraph 8 of resolution 1844 (2008).
