US offers rewards for West African militant leaders

WASHINGTON - Reuters

Nigerian soldiers inspecting an alleged Boko Haram base. AFP photo

The U.S. State Department offered rewards on June 3 of $3 million to $7 million for information leading to the location of “leaders of terrorist organizations” in West Africa, the first time it has used the rewards program in the region.

The action targets leaders of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA), and the groups known as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion and Boko Haram.

“For the first time, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards for information on key leaders of terrorist organizations in West Africa,” the State Department said in a statement.