Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim

Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim Mohamed (; 1984 – December 4, 2015), also known as Abu Sulayman, was a Sudanese jihadist who was involved with both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS). He was known for his participation in the murder of two USAID employees in Sudan and later became one of the early leaders of IS in Somalia.

Early life Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim Mohamed was born in the United Arab Emirates in 1984, where he spent his early years before returning to Sudan, the homeland of his ancestors, as a teenager. Upon his return, he enrolled in the Sudan University of Science and Technology to study engineering. However, Makkawi dropped out and became involved in Islamist militancy. This transition was reportedly influenced by the growing radical Islamist movements in Sudan during the early 2000s.

Involvement in the murder of USAID employees Makkawi's first significant involvement in jihadist activities began with the Al-Salamah Group, a cell linked to Al Qaeda that operated in Sudan. In August 2007, the group attempted to carry out bombings in Khartoum, targeting sites in the city's southern suburb. This group was part of a broader network often referred to as Al-Qa'ida in the Land of the Two Niles (AQTN). While the group succeeded in detonating at least one bomb, Sudanese authorities quickly dismantled the network. Makkawi managed to evade capture during the crackdown and fled to the Darfur region, where he continued his involvement in jihadist activities. Although the Islamic State later claimed that the two victims were American intelligence agents attempting to arrest Makkawi, independent sources have consistently described the attack as a terrorist operation targeting U.S. interests in Sudan. Following the assassination, the U.S. State Department included Makkawi in its Rewards for Justice Program, offering a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture.

Imprisonment Makkawi was apprehended by Sudanese authorities in February 2008 after a brief but intense shootout in Khartoum. He, along with his accomplices, was imprisoned at Kober Prison, a high-security facility in Sudan known for housing extremists and political prisoners. Makkawi's time in Kober Prison was marked by a growing sense of notoriety among jihadist circles.

In June 2010, Makkawi and three others managed to escape from the prison through a tunnel they had secretly dug from their cell. The audacious escape was later celebrated in jihadist propaganda, particularly in a 2012 documentary released by Ansar al Tawhid, where Makkawi narrated the details of the escape. This event further elevated his status within jihadist networks. Following the escape, Makkawi reportedly spent a year in hiding in Sudan before making his way to Somalia to join al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab and defection to Islamic State Defectors from Al-Shabab to a pro-Islamic State splinter group, led by Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim Mohamed, pledge allegiance to IS amir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2015. Around May 2011, Makkawi arrived in Somalia, where he joined Al-Shabaab. In Somalia, Makkawi underwent extensive training, both militarily and religiously, and eventually became a prominent ideologue within his unit. During his time in Somalia, Makkawi was stationed in various locations, including the Boni Forest in northeastern Kenya, an area known for being a stronghold for Al-Shabaab militants. Disillusioned with Al-Shabaab's leadership and inspired by the rise of IS, Makkawi began to distance himself from Al-Shabaab's hierarchy. Makkawi's death went largely unnoticed in international media, receiving only brief coverage in local Sudanese outlets. IS confirmed Makkawi's death in May 2016.