Database: Identifiers of Designated Islamic Terrorist Organizations
Ansaru
Designation Status (as of October 12, 2026)
| US State Dept FTO | Listed Ansaru since November 14, 2013 |
|---|---|
| US Treasury OFAC SDN (SDGT) | Listed ANSARU |
| UK Proscribed | Listed Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Vanguard for the protection of Muslims in Black Africa) (Ansaru) since November 2012 |
| EU Terrorist Lists | Listed Ansaru |
| Canada Listed Entities | Not listed official list |
| Australia Listed | Not listed official list |
Profile written 2014 The profile below is the original Jihad Intel text and has not been updated. Designation status above is current.
Designated as terrorist by: United Kingdom, United Nations, United States
Base of operations: Nigeria
Background: Council on Foreign Relations
Background: BBC News
Jama'at Ansar al-Muslimin fi Bilad al-Sudan ("Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Lands" in Arabic), better known as Ansaru, is an Islamist terror group operating in Nigeria. It is widely seen as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram. While Boko Haram's grassroots fighters focus on domestic targets, Ansaru counts many foreign-trained Nigerian jihadists in its ranks and places greater emphasis on attacking Western interests, especially through kidnappings. The United Kingdom has described Ansaru as "anti-Nigerian government, anti-Western, and broadly aligned with al-Qaeda." In particular, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is believed to have influenced Ansaru's outlook and tactics.
