The Malian government has officially placed Mauritanian jihadist Fawaz Ould Ahmed, also known as “Ibrahim 10,” on its national financial sanctions list.
Already sentenced to death in 2020 for terrorism-related crimes, the 46-year-old now faces an immediate freeze of all assets and economic resources for an initial six-month period, renewable under Malian law.
The decision, announced in the Official Journal in April 2025, reflects the country’s effort to intensify its crackdown on terrorist financing, in line with Law No. 2016-008 on anti-money laundering and counterterrorism.
Fawaz Ould Ahmed is a notorious figure linked to Al-Mourabitoune, a group affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). He was found guilty of participating in two major terrorist attacks in Bamako in 2015: the La Terrasse restaurant attack in March and the Radisson Blu hotel attack in November, which together claimed 25 lives and left many injured.
Arrested in 2016 after a regional intelligence operation, his trial concluded in October 2020 with a conviction for terrorism, murder, and criminal conspiracy.
As Mali battles extremist threats on multiple fronts, the asset freeze is part of a wider strategy to disrupt funding for jihadist operations across the Sahel.
