Nafia Noureddine
Nafia Noureddine, also known as Abu Mouad, was born in Meknes, Morocco, in 1967. He was a key figure in the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (Jama’a Islamia Moukatila Maghrebia, or MICG), a Sunni Islamist militant organization which had the objective to overthrow the Moroccan Kingdom and establish an Islamic regime. In particular, Noureddine played a crucial role in organizing the Group structure, managing and centralizing the Group’s funds and providing false passports to the Group members.
His radicalization began during his student years in Meknes after reading texts by Afghan leader Abderabi Rassoul Sayef, which urged young Muslims to join the fight in Afghanistan. Inspired by this, in 1991, Noureddine left Morocco and travelled to Afghanistan. Upon his arrival, he stayed in a hospitality house that hosted foreign fighters, including members of Hamas. Later that year, he enrolled in a military training camp in the Khust region, where he was taught to use firearms, explosives, and hand grenades. Following this training, Noureddine fought against Russian forces on the front lines for over a year, until 1993. After briefly returning to Pakistan to renew his passport, Noureddine re-entered Afghanistan in 1994, where he continued his training in Taliban-controlled camps. Over the years, he honed his skills in guerrilla warfare, explosives, and other combat tactics.
In 1998, Noureddine moved to Syria, where he married the sister of Younes Chakouri, a founder of MICG. He was appointed as the emir (leader) of MICG – a role that he held for a year – due to his combat experience. Later in 1998, he travelled to Turkey to meet leaders of the Libyan Islamic Combatant Group (GICL), learning organizational and technological methods to improve MICG’s operations. In Turkey, he received a laptop to coordinate with MICG cells in France, the UK, Canada, and Pakistan.
By the end of 1999, Noureddine had travelled through Italy, Belgium, the UK, and Spain, recruiting new members for MICG. His journey took him to Turkey, Syria, and Afghanistan, where, in 2001, he helped reorganize MICG’s structure with a focus on launching direct conflict within Morocco against Moroccan authorities to trigger an Islamic revolution. During this period, he established a connection between MICG and al-Qaeda after meeting Osama bin Laden.
At the time of the 9/11 attacks, Noureddine was still in Afghanistan, securing funds for the MICG while maintaining contact with members of the group’s Italian and French cells. Following the attacks, he fled Afghanistan and moved to Pakistan. He later travelled to Iran and Turkey, continuing to collect financial support for the Group. In particular, in 2002, he sent money to Tayeb Bentizi, through intermediaries, particularly Raouiane Mohamed, leading exponent of the Italian cell of the MICG. His role in the management of funds was underlined also by Baouchi Moustapha, main exponent of the MICG’s French cell and representant of Noureddine in France, who said that Noureddine was responsible for centralizing funds from Saudi Arabia, initially used to support the families of returning Arab-Afghan mujahideen.
A Moroccan court sentenced Nafia Noureddine to twenty years in prison, because he was deemed to be involved in the 2003 Casablanca bombings.
