Mahmoud Barry, war name Abou Yehiya, is a Malian jihadist and second-in-command of Katiba Macina. Since 2022 he has been the spokesperson of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.
Abou Yehiya | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mahmoud Barry |
| Born | 1970 Koro, Mali |
| Allegiance |  Katiba Macina (2015-present)ANSIPRJ (2016) Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (2017-present) |
| Rank | Emir of ANSIPRJ (2016) Second-in command (Katiba Macina) (2020-present) JNIM shura member (2022-present) Spokesperson of JNIM (2022-present) |
| Battles / wars | Mali War |
Biography
editBarry was born in 1979 in Koro, Mali. He is the father of eight children and was an imam in Senou, near Bamako.[1] He is a Fulani.[2]
On May 18, 2016, Barry appeared in the first video released by Katiba Macina, an Ansar Dine-affiliated group in Mopti Region.[3] He likely planned and participated in the battle of Nara in June 2016 and the Nampala attack in July 2016.[4][5] During the Nampala attack, he served as the military commander of Fulani rebel group ANSIPRJ.[2]
Yehiya was arrested by Malian security services on July 26, 2016, a week after the Nampala attack, in the Wagadou forest between Nampala and Dogofry.[4][6]
In October 2020, Yehiya and several other Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin[a](JNIM) were released in exchange for four hostages, including Soumaïla Cissé and Sophie Pétronin.[7] Back in JNIM, he joined the group's shura and became second-in-command of Katiba Macina under Amadou Koufa.[7] Yehiya appeared in a July 2022 video by JNIM announcing the group's intention to launch attacks on the state capital Bamako. He announced his intentions to bring Mali under Sharia law, and claimed that Katiba members were operating around Bamako.[7]
Since July 2022, Yehiya has been the spokesperson of JNIM.[8]
Notes
edit- ^ Katiba Macina and four other jihadist groups merged into JNIM in 2017.
References
edit- ^ Républicain, Le (2016-07-28). "Après l'attaque de Nampala : Mahamoud Barry alias Abou Yéhia dans le filet de la sécurité d'Etat | maliweb.net" (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b Hummel, Kristina (2017-02-22). "The Fulani Crisis: Communal Violence and Radicalization in the Sahel". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "Le Front de libération du Macina menace la France et ses alliés dans une vidéo". RFI (in French). 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b "Un chef djihadiste arrêté au Mali". Le Figaro (in French). 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "Mali : un chef d'Ansar Dine arrêté". BBC News Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "L'Emir Mahmoud Barry alias Abou Yehiya, leader de la katibat Ançar Eddine du Macina, arête par la DGSE entre Nampala et Dogofri". malijet.com. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ a b c "Mali : le GSIM annonce des " opérations " contre Bamako - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ "Mahmood Barry: JNIM's Video Monologue Militant in Mali". Jamestown. Retrieved 2024-02-02.