Abu Yassir Hassan Surfaces as the Leader of the Mozambican Insurgency

Abu Yassir Hassan Surfaces as the Leader of the Mozambican Insurgency

Abu Yassir Hassan—a militant leader in Mozambique—is believed to be steering a deadly insurgency in the northern part of the country. Under his watch, a band of militants under the banner of Ansar al-Sunna has carried out deadly attacks in the gas-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Al-Sunna is one of Africa’s newest Islamist extremist groups. Like the older militant factions on the continent, the group is also known by other names, including Ahlu Sunnah wal-Jamaah (ASWJ), Swahili Sunna, Ansaar Khalimat Allah and al-Shabaab or “The Youth.” Although it is often referred to locally by the same name as the Somali-based al-Qaida affiliate, there is no evidence that the groups have any connection (Nation, March 13).

Al-Sunna has carried out strikes on government buildings, mosques and villages, burned houses and decapitated victims.

Until recently, the militant group’s leadership remained a mystery, with the identity of the man at the top of the command structure a matter of speculation. But that appeared to change recently when the United States announced sanctions against Hassan. Such sanctions are often seen as a boost to the jihadist credentials of an Islamist militant leader since it designates them as a global terrorist. But some analysts fear that while they are well understood in the United States, the militant groups and their leaders may not understand their meaning and significance.

The U.S. sanctions against Hassan were announced along with sanctions again the militant group he is allegedly leading—Ansar al-Sunna (govinfo.gov, March 11). The group is part of the Islamic State in the Central African Republic Province (ISCAP), which the Middle East-based organization claimed as a province in April 2019. The launch of ISCAP was reportedly part of its plan to establish a presence in Central, East and Southern Africa. Analysts say this part of its wider plan to establish a presence in new regions, as it loses its grip on the Middle East.

Hassan is also known by other aliases, including Yaseer Hassan and Abu Qasim. Although his exact date of birth is unknown, it is believed that he was born between 1981 and 1983 in Tanzania. He is believed to be 38 to 40 years old and allegedly lives or operates between the coastal region of Tanzania and the northern Mozambique province of Cabo Delgado. Since its inception, Ansar al-Sunna has concentrated most of its activities in the province.

Details about the jihadist remain scanty, but he is reportedly a Tanzanian Muslim religious leader. At the early stages of the group’s formation in Cabo Delgado province, the militant allegedly exerted great influence on Ansar al-Sunna. Some reports suggest that he is the leader of the Supreme Council of IS in Mozambique (Afro News, March 19, 2021)

The group began in 2015 as a peaceful religious organization but gradually became militarized. Its first violent attack was recorded in 2017, when it targeted a police station in Mocimboa da Praia, before spreading to other districts in the northern parts of Cabo Delgado including Palma, Macomia, and Nangade (Afro News, March 17, 2021).

Hassan reportedly lived in Macimboa de Praia between 2014 and 2015. He is also believed to have lived in the Congo and continued to maintain close links with extremist groups even after leaving the Central African country (Afro News, March 17, 2021).

The identification of Hassan as one of the leaders of the Mozambican group adds his name to a list of six people the Mozambican police named as Ansar al-Sunna leaders in 2018. Abdul Faizal, Abdul Remane, Abdul Raim, Nuno Remane, Ibn Omar and another person identified as Salimo were said to be the group’s ring leaders (Club of Mozambique, August 13, 2020).

Meanwhile, the question of whether or not Hassan is the leader of the Mozambican militant group is stirring controversy. A recent statement by Tanzanian police has cast some doubt on whether he is still part of the militant group. With the announcement of U.S. sanctions, the Tanzanian police confirmed that they were aware of someone with that name, but stated that, according to their records, the individual had died. The police further stated that they would check their database to establish the credibility of the information provided by the U.S. government. At the same time, former fighters who have left the group have reportedly said in interviews that the group’s leaders are Tanzanians (Nation, March 13, 2021) (Afro News , March 19, 2021).

The claim that there are Tanzanians in the ranks of Ansar al-Sunna gained further credibility in October, when the militant group attacked Mtwara in southern Tanzania. In the attack, the militants burned houses, destroyed an armored vehicle and stole money. At least 20 people died in the attack, the first by the group inside Tanzania (Jamestown, December 3, 2020)

The location where Hassan received training is not clear, but he is believed to be among the members of the group trained locally in Mozambique– reportedly by dissatisfied police and security guards— and in Tanzania. He might have also received training from militia chiefs in the Great Lakes region hired by Ansar al-Sunna in Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia (Club of Mozambique, June 14, 2018).

That Hassan was possibly among the earliest members of the organizations inspired by Aboud Rogo Mohammed, a.k.a. Makaburi. Rogo, a radical Kenyan Muslim leader and an ideologue associated with the Somali-based al-Shabaab who died in unclear circumstances in Mombasa in 2012. Attempting to spread his legacy, some followers who fled Kenya allegedly settled in Kabiti in southern Tanzania before entering Mozambique to start an insurgency. Cabo Delgado, with its large population of Muslims, provided a suitable environment for the militant group to grow its membership (see Terrorism Monitor, June 14, 2018).

Since 2017, under Hassan’s command, the militant group has killed approximately 1,500 civilians. Since the start of its insurgency, 2,500 people have been killed in the violence, including civilians, security force members and the militants. Nearly 700,000 people have been displaced due to the violence. For some time, Hassan’s group had been dismissed as a small insurgency that would dissipate, but the successful capture, albeit temporarily, of the strategic port city of Macimboa da Praia in August 2020 alarmed security experts (Sunday Times , August 31, 2020).

Hassan was designated alongside Shaykh Seka Musa Baluku, the leader of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is affiliated with IS and located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. ADF, also known as Madina at Tauheed Wau Mujahedeen, originates from Uganda. Although IS-Mozambique and IS-DRC are often portrayed as one unit under the ISCAP umbrella, they are distinct groups with different origins, different leaders and different areas of operation (Africanews, March 11).

Although reports that Hassan is leading the Mozambican militant group have been met with some skepticism from the Tanzanian police force, available information indicates that some foreigners are leading the militant group. At the same time, deserters have indicated that there are Tanzanians at the helm of the organization, Hassan possibly being one of them. Hassan’s alleged links with militants in the Congo and the fact that he is a Tanzanian national gives him an international image and the potential background and experience necessary to lead such an insurgency.

Whether or not Hassan will release a video or statement soon remains to be seen. Still, Ansar al-Sunna is succeeding in making its presence as a militant group felt in Mozambique.