Hezbollah’s Financing Ecosystem… Fawaz Family In Sierra Leone Named.

A recent study on how West Africa is linked to terrorism activities particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon through familt ties with links in Sierra Leone has published with particular reference to the Fawaz Family.
The study was done by the International Institute for Counter Terrorism, Center For Research of Terror Financing and Reichman University. Bellow is the Abstract of the study:
Abstract
This study analyzes how Hezbollah leverages Lebanese Shiite clan-based networks within the diaspora in West Africa, using the Fawaz clan to illustrate the group’s global financing efforts. This research uses open-source research and U.S. Treasury designations to trace the Fawaz clan’s origins in South Lebanon and its expansion across West Africa and their links with Hezbollah back home and in the diaspora. It examines how family-controlled businesses in West Africa operate alongside individuals involved in Hezbollah’s fundraising and operations. The Fawaz clan demonstrates how Hezbollah utilizes extended family networks in the diaspora to support its financial and organizational infrastructure.
By combining kinship ties, legitimate businesses, and roles within the Foreign Relations Department (FRD), the family links Shiite communities abroad to Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon. This case shows that terrorist financing is often embedded in social and familial structures, making it difficult to distinguish lawful activity from illicit support. This study analyzes how Hezbollah leverages Lebanese Shiite clan-based networks within the diaspora in West Africa, using the Fawaz clan to illustrate the group’s global financing efforts. This research uses open-source research and U.S. Treasury designations to trace the Fawaz clan’s origins in South Lebanon and its expansion across West Africa and their links with Hezbollah back home and in the diaspora. It examines how family-controlled businesses in West Africa operate alongside individuals involved in Hezbollah’s fundraising and operations. The Fawaz clan demonstrates how Hezbollah utilizes extended family networks in the diaspora to support its financial and organizational infrastructure. By combining kinship ties, legitimate businesses, and roles within the Foreign Relations Department (FRD), the family links Shiite communities abroad to Hezbollah’s leadership in Lebanon. This case shows that terrorist financing is often embedded in social and familial structures, making it difficult to distinguish lawful activity from illicit support.
More on this report will be published in subsequent editions.