Abu Musab al-Barnawi

{{Infobox military person

|name= Abu Musab al-Barnawi

|birth_date= Borno or Yobe, Nigeria{{sfn|Omeni|2020|pp=50–51}}

|death_date=

|birth_place=

|death_place=

|image=

|caption=

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|allegiance= Boko Haram (2002–2013, ?–2015)
Ansaru ({{circa}} 2013)
{{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} Islamic State – West Africa Province (from 2015)

|serviceyears=

|rank= * Leader of ISWAP (formerly)

Head of the ISWAP's shura
Member of the IS global shura (allegedly)

|commands=

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|battles= Boko Haram insurgency

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}}

Abu Musab al-Barnawi, born Habib Yusuf,{{cite news |url=https://humangle.ng/shekaus-last-message-throws-light-on-links-with-global-terror-groups-iswap-offensive/ |title=Shekau's Last Message Throws Light On Links With Global Terror Groups, ISWAP Offensive |author=Murtala Abdullahi |work=Humangle |date=26 May 2021 |access-date=30 May 2021 }} is a Nigerian Islamic militant who served as the leader of the Islamic State's branch in West Africa (ISWAP) between August 2016 and March 2019, and again around May 2021. He also served in various other capacities within ISWAP such as head of its shura. Before pledging allegiance to IS, al-Barnawi was the spokesperson for Boko Haram. Multiple sources reported that al-Barnawi was killed in 2021, but later research by the Crisis Group, Humangle Media, and others proved that these claims were inaccurate.

Early life and Boko Haram membership

Abu Musab al-Barnawi was generally believed to be the eldest surviving son of the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf.{{Cite web |url=https://www.360nobs.com/2016/08/shekau-resurfaces-accuses-new-boko-haram-leader-al-barnawi-of-attempted-coup/ |title=Shekau Resurfaces, Accuses New Boko Haram Leader al-Barnawi Of Attempted Coup |author= |work=360nobs |date=4 August 2016 |access-date=16 July 2018 |archive-date=17 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717012857/https://www.360nobs.com/2016/08/shekau-resurfaces-accuses-new-boko-haram-leader-al-barnawi-of-attempted-coup/ |url-status=dead }}{{sfn|Omeni|2020|pp=50–51}}{{efn|However, the view that Abu Musab al-Barnawi was Mohammed Yusuf's son has been disputed by some researchers. Akali Omeni argued that Abu Musab was probably a relative of the Boko Haram founder, but not his son, as he would be too young for the various positions he was appointed in Boko Haram.{{sfn|Omeni|2020|pp=51–52}} }} According to his nom de guerre which includes al-Barnawi ("from Borno"),{{sfn|Omeni|2020|p=50}} Abu Musab was born in Nigeria's Borno State.{{sfn|Warner|Cummings|Nsaibia|O'Farrell|2022|loc=The Magazine Coup: Globally August 2016}}{{sfn|Omeni|2020|p=50}} Researcher Akali Omeni alternatively suggested that al-Barnawi did not refer to Abu Musab's place of birth, but instead his lineage. According to this view, Abu Musab was born in Yobe State just like his father Mohammed Yusuf.{{sfn|Omeni|2020|pp=50–51}} His exact birth date is unclear; Omeni speculated that Abu Musab was probably born around the 1980s or 1990s.{{sfn|Omeni|2020|p=51}}

In 2009, Mohammed Yusuf launched a failed uprising; he was captured and killed in police custody. His militant group subsequently fell under the command of Abubakar Shekau. Abu Musab al-Barnawi became Boko Haram's spokesperson,{{cite web| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58576635| title = Nigeria says Iswap leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi is dead| work = BBC| date = 14 October 2021 | access-date = 19 December 2022}} and gradually rose in the ranks of the rebel group. He became one of the group's chief commanders and a close advisor of Shekau.{{sfn|Warner|Cummings|Nsaibia|O'Farrell|2022|loc=The Magazine Coup: Globally August 2016}} However, Abu Musab was more moderate than Shekau, disagreeing with the latter's use of women and children as suicide bombers. The two frequently clashed,{{sfn|Warner|Cummings|Nsaibia|O'Farrell|2022|loc=The Magazine Coup: Globally August 2016}} and Abu Musab even temporarily defected to Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group, in 2013. On 27 January 2015, he released a propaganda video for Boko Haram, having rejoined the group.{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/29/frank-gaffney-boko-haram-discusses-baga-massacre-i/ |title=FRANK GAFFNEY: Boko Haram discusses Baga massacre, ideology in new video |newspaper=The Washington Times |access-date=4 August 2016 |date=29 January 2015 |first=Kyle |last=Shideler}}{{cite news |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/african-union-forces-may-exacerbate-boko-haram-threat.html |title=OPINION: African Union forces may exacerbate Boko Haram threat |agency=Al Jazeera |access-date=4 August 2016 |date=7 February 2015 |first=Hilary |last=Matfess |work=Al Jazeera America News |publisher=Al Jazeera America}}

Islamic State

On 7 March 2015, Abubakar Shekau released an audio message in which he pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State. Abubakar Shekau was reaffirmed as the leader of the branch in an IS video released in April 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-nigeria-boko-haram-idUSKCN0Z72WT |title=Boko Haram fracturing over Islamic State ties, U.S. general warns |date=21 June 2016 |work=Reuters |access-date=4 August 2016 |first=Phil |last=Stewart |editor-first=Marguerita |editor-last=Choy |publisher=The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles}} Despite this, unrest among his forces caused a large force of dissidents, led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi and his stepfather Mamman Nur, to break off and relocate to Lake Chad.{{sfnp|Zenn|2021|p=9}} On 21 June 2016, Reuters reported Marine Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser as saying "Several months ago, about half of Boko Haram broke off to a separate group because they were not happy with the amount of buy-in, if you will, from Boko Haram into the IS brand," Shekau ignored IS orders to stop using children as suicide bombers. "He's been told by ISIL to stop doing that. But he has not done so. And that's one of the reasons why this splinter group has broken off," he said, adding Islamic State was trying to "reconcile those two groups." However, the fracture ultimately resulted in the reemergence of a separate faction, generally called "Boko Haram", led by Shekau, and opposed to IS and ISWAP.{{sfnp|Zenn|2021|pp=1–2}} The Islamic State central initially continued its attempts to reconcile the infighting factions, to no avail.{{sfnp|Zenn|2021|p=9}}

On 3 August 2016, the Islamic State reported in the 41st issue of its newspaper al-Naba, that Abu Musab al-Barnawi had been appointed the new leader of their West African branch.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36963711 |title=Boko Haram in Nigeria: Abu Musab al-Barnawi named as new leader |work=BBC News Online |access-date=4 August 2016 |publisher=BBC Online |agency=BBC |date=3 August 2016}} In response, Shekau declared that he and his followers were in the right, and that "[they] will not accept any emissary except the one we can attest he is sincere and truthful for Allah and His cause". Abu Musab promised in an interview with al-Naba that he would not target mosques or markets in northern Nigeria. The difference in these approaches is due to Barnawi considering the general population in the region to be Muslim whereas Shekau considered them to be non-believers.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/08/03/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-boko-haram.html |title=Islamic State Group Announces New Boko Haram Leader |date=29 December 2016 |author=AP |author-link=Associated Press |access-date=24 January 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803155546/http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/08/03/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-boko-haram.html |archive-date=3 August 2016 |url-status=live }} Shekau responded by declaring Abu Musab and his followers "infidels", whereupon Abu Musab accused Shekau of apostasy and, together with his brother, published a book titled Cutting Off the Tumor of Shekau's Kharijites.{{sfn|Warner|Cummings|Nsaibia|O'Farrell|2022|loc=The Magazine Coup: Globally August 2016}} On 27 February 2018, he was made a 'Specially Designated National' by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control.{{cite journal |url=https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180227.aspx |title=Counter Terrorism Designations |date=27 February 2018 |access-date=3 July 2019 |journal=U.S. Department of the Treasury |publisher=United States Government}}{{cite news |url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-islamic-state-sanctions/u-s-treasury-slaps-sanctions-on-more-islamic-state-targets-idUKKCN1GB20X |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227203726/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-islamic-state-sanctions/u-s-treasury-slaps-sanctions-on-more-islamic-state-targets-idUKKCN1GB20X |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 February 2018 |title=U.S. Treasury slaps sanctions on more Islamic State targets |date=27 February 2018 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Reuters |first=Eric |last=Walsh |editor-first=Susan |editor-last=Thomas |publisher=The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles}}

In March 2019, rumours began to circulate according to which Abu Musab had been replaced by Abu Abdullah Idris ibn Umar al-Barnawi as the governor of ISWAP. Neither the Islamic State's top leadership, nor members of its West Africa branch officially commented on the claims, resulting in speculations about the reported dismissal. Some argued that he had possibly been overthrown as part of an internal power struggle,{{cite news |url=https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/isis-backed-boko-haram-faction-may-have-new-chief-20190306 |title=ISIS-backed Boko Haram faction may have new chief |author=AFP |author-link=Agence France-Presse |work=News24 |date=6 March 2019 |access-date=14 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306100145/https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/isis-backed-boko-haram-faction-may-have-new-chief-20190306 |url-status=dead }} while the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) claimed that he had been fired by the Islamic State's top command due to a number of defeats of his forces at the hands of MJTF.{{cite news |url=https://www.channelstv.com/2019/03/12/boko-haram-multinational-force-records-successes-with-operation-yancin-tafki/ |title=Boko Haram: Multinational Force Records Successes With 'Operation Yancin Tafki' |work=Channels Television |date=12 March 2019 |access-date=14 March 2019}} Later research by the Crisis Group concluded that Abu Musab had stepped down after being challenged by other ISWAP senior commanders who considered him too young for a leader. The Islamic State central command never officially accepted Abu Musab's removal from his position.{{sfn|Crisis Group|2022|p=5}}

File:BokoHaraminsurgency.png and Boko Haram in 2022]]

Around mid-May 2021, ISWAP released an audio declaring that Abu Musab al-Barnawi had been reinstated by the IS central command as "caretaker" leader of ISWAP.{{sfnp|Zenn|2021|p=1}}{{sfn|Crisis Group|2022|p=5}} With Abu Musab restored to overall command, ISWAP proceeded to overrun Sambisa Forest, inflicting a major defeat on the Shekau faction and resulting in Abubakar Shekau's death. Al-Barnawi consequently declared Boko Haram dissolved,{{cite news |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/05/supremacy-battle-iswap-fighters-arrest-more-shekaus-commanders-meet-surrendered-top-boko-haram-members/ |title=Supremacy Battle: ISWAP fighters arrest more Shekau's commanders, meet surrendered top Boko Haram members |author=Kingsley Omonobi |work=Vanguard |date=26 May 2021 |access-date=27 May 2021 }} and Shekau dead, condemning him as "someone who committed unimaginable terrorism".{{cite news |url=https://humangle.ng/iswap-confirms-shekaus-death-says-its-fighters-were-following-isis-orders/ |title=ISWAP Confirms Shekau's Death, Says Its Fighters Were Following ISIS Orders |author=Ahmad Salkida |work=Humangle |date=5 June 2021 |access-date=5 June 2021 }} Soon after, ISWAP's structure was reformed, and Abu Musab was appointed head of the ISWAP's shura (a powerful consultative assembly) and commander of Sambisa Forest.{{cite web|url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/islamic-state-fortifies-its-position-in-the-lake-chad-basin |title=Islamic State fortifies its position in the Lake Chad Basin |author=Malik Samuel|work=Institute for Security Studies |date=13 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021}} According to the Daily Trust newspaper, he was killed in August 2021. Different accounts of his death circulated, alleging that he had either been killed by the Nigerian Army or as a result of inter-ISWAP power struggles.{{cite web| url = https://dailytrust.com/vicious-iswap-leader-al-barnawi-killed| title = Vicious ISWAP leader, Al-Barnawi, killed| work = Daily Trust | date = 15 September 2021 | access-date = 15 September 2021}}{{cite web| url = http://saharareporters.com/2021/09/15/notorious-boko-haram-islamic-state-leader-al-barnawi-killed-borno| title = Notorious Boko Haram, Islamic State Leader, Al-Barnawi Killed In Borno | work = Sahara Reporters | date = 15 September 2021 | access-date = 15 September 2021}} It was confirmed by ISWAP sources that Abu Musab had been wounded in a clash with Boko Haram loyalists around this time, though Islamic State members did not comment on the allegations of his death.{{sfn|Crisis Group|2022|pp=6, 8}}

The accuracy of the claim of Abu Musab's death was questioned by Crisis Group{{sfn|Crisis Group|2022|pp=7–8}} and Humangle Media researchers who gathered "multiple sources" suggesting that Abu Musab had disappeared due to being promoted. According to Humangle Media journalist Aliyu Dahiru, one source reported that Abu Musab al-Barnawi was "well and alive" as of 2022. As per these claims, Abu Musab had actually been appointed to IS central's global shura (advisory) council and was involved in coordinating IS operations beyond the Chad Basin.{{cite news |url=https://humanglemedia.com/iswap-rebrands-expands-scope-of-operations/ |title=ISWAP Rebrands, Expands Scope Of Operations |author=Aliyu Dahiru |work=Humangle Media |date=1 October 2022 |access-date=8 December 2022 }} This report was mirrored by interviews by Crisis Group researchers with ISWAP members who stated that Abu Musab had been given a "larger, though unspecified, African mandate" as he was recovering from a wound.{{sfn|Crisis Group|2022|pp=7–8}} In 2023, researcher Jacob Zenn stated that "al-Barnawi [...] maintains a leading role in ISWAP, but is [no longer] the official leader".{{sfn|Zenn|2023}}

Publications

Cutting Off the Tumor of Shekau's Kharijites. 2016.{{sfn|Warner|Cummings|Nsaibia|O'Farrell|2022|loc=The Magazine Coup: Globally August 2016}}
'Cutting out the tumour from the Khawarij of Shekau by the allegiance of the people of nobility. 2018.{{sfn|Omeni|2020|p=50}}

Notes

References

=Works cited=

{{Cite journal |url = https://icg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/b180--iswap.pdf |title = After Shekau: Confronting Jihadists in Nigeria's North East |date = 29 March 2022 |journal = Africa Briefing |publisher = Crisis Group |issue = 180 |ref = {{harvid|Crisis Group|2022}} }}
{{cite book|last1 =Warner |first1 =Jason |last2 =Cummings |first2 =Ryan |last3 =Nsaibia |first3 =Héni |last4 =O'Farrell |first4 =Ryan |title=The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8-dvEAAAQBAJ|date= 2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0197639320 }}
{{cite book|last1 =Omeni |first1 =Akali |title=Insurgency and War in Nigeria: Regional Fracture and the Fight Against Boko Haram | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LXC1DwAAQBAJ|date= 2020 |publisher=Bloomsburg Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-7883-1128-1 }}
{{Cite journal |url = https://jamestown.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TM-May-24-2021-Issue.pdf?x50264 |title = Killing of Boko Haram Leader Abubakar Shekau Boosts Islamic State in Nigeria |last= Zenn |first= Jacob |date = 24 May 2021 |journal = Terrorism Monitor |publisher = Jamestown Foundation |issue = 10 |volume = 19 |pages = 1–2 }}
{{Cite journal |url = https://jamestown.org/brief/malam-bana-musaid-reflects-on-his-time-as-boko-harams-number-four/ |title = Malam Bana Musaid Reflects on His Time as Boko Haram's "Number Four" |last = Zenn |first = Jacob |date = August 2023 |journal = Militant Leadership Monitor |publisher = Jamestown Foundation |issue = 6 |volume = 14 }}