Washington - The Trump administration has quietly rescinded a reward of up to $5 million for information about a top member of the al-Qaeda-allied extremist group al-Shabaab in Somalia.
The move comes amid reports in Somalia that Sheikh Mukhtar Robow may be in talks with the Somali government to leave al-Shabaab.
A US official said Friday that Robow remains subject to US sanctions as a "specially designated global terroris", but is no longer among the targets of the State Department's Rewards for Justice programme, which offers cash for information about wanted terrorist suspects.
The official said Robow's removal from the rewards programme took place in recent days after consultations with the Somali government. The official was not authorized to speak to the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.