German National Jurgen Kantner appearing in second ransom video

In 2008, German nationals Jurgen Kantner and Sabine Merz were sailing not far from the Gulf of Aden when they were captured by Somali pirates.The two were released safely, only to be confronted once again in November 2016 during an excursion off the coast of the southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi, this time by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Members of the Philippines-based jihadi group attacked the sailing partners, killing Merz and capturing Kantner on November 7, 2016.

Kantner is currently being held for a ransom of 30 million pesos (approximately 600 thousand U.S. dollars). Since his recapture, he has appeared in three videos, in which he pled with the German government to meet ASG’s demand and communicate with the Philippine government to negotiate his release. In his most recent video, Kantner also said goodbye to his family.

Since the start of 2014, ASG has become increasingly notorious for using kidnapping-for-ransom as a way to fund itself, as it appears to have modified its original ideological goals to more financially oriented ones. At any given time, it reportedly maintains over 10 hostages, demanding payments through notes, messages, and videos. However, as the group has shown ties to the Islamic State (IS), it is important to note the motives of ASG’s separate factions. The faction discussed here seldom refers to IS and seemingly acts independently from its counterparts, especially in its media distribution. Its focus remains almost entirely on extortion and hostage taking, and its demands are almost always financial. In regards to hostages, the majority of its victims are Filipino. However, the group frequently captures foreign nationals, including Australians, British, Canadians, Chinese, French, and Germans.

Hostages are rarely – if ever – released by ASG without receipt of the ransom. In the case of Kantner, his third video was provided as a “final ultimatum,” and, on February 16, 2017, the Philippines’ Armed Forces announced a rescue mission to recover him as well as ASG’s 26 other foreign and local hostages.

Kantner’s execution is set for February 26, 2016 at 3 P.M.

TIMELINE: SELECT KIDNAPPING CASES 2014 – PRESENT

2014: During 2014, ASG demanded ransoms for their captives without the use of video. In the case of two captives, Stefan Okonek and Henrike Dielen, the group released three photos. The majority of cases below took place off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia, with some near the shore of Palawan, Philippines. ASG held its victims in Sulu, Philippines.

2015: ASG continued its kidnapping operations off the coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The group additionally released a series of videos showing four foreign nationals captured in Samal, Philippines, two of whom were later beheaded after demands were not met. A fifth foreign national of South Korean descent was abducted in Zamboanga Sibugay. He was found dead 11 months later.

2016: During the year 2016, ASG increasingly kidnapped sailors and fishermen, demanding ransoms from respective governments or companies. Operations continued to take place in Sabah as well as Sulu and Basilan. 2016 is additionally the year Jurgen Kantner was once again kidnapped, this time by ASG, and his partner, Sabine Merz, was killed. While no videos were released for the several kidnappings of sailors, the group disseminated three videos of Kantner, the third of which dedicated Feb. 26 as his date of execution.

TIES TO THE ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

ASG is structured almost as an octopod, with its tentacles extending into the various Philippine provinces, but seemingly acting independent of each other. Despite having initial support from al-Qaeda (AQ) in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the group in its current incarnation is divided between those who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and one that retained the “Abu Sayyaf” brand and appear autonomous. Isnilon Totoni Hapilon (AKA Abu Abdullah al-Filipini), the former ASG central leader and operated out of Basilan, has since pledged to IS and serves as the group’s official for all affiliated fighters in the Philippines. Other factions within ASG have also pledged to the IS, including the Jund al-Tawhid Battalion and Ma’arakat al-Ansar Battalion in Sulu, and the Ansar al-Shariah Battalion. As part of the IS, all that a constituent group produces, including statements and multimedia, is directed through the IS media machine. Just as they cede autonomy in decision-making and operations, they also give up media independence. Important to note is that ASG additionally has ties to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a jihadist group in Southeast Asia, the leader of which, Abu Bakar Bashir, pledged loyalty to IS in July 2014. JI supplies funding to ASG in exchange for harboring JI militants.

Here, only the ASG division conducting the kidnappings continues to use the group name and release its own media, indicating that it operates independently. Also, converse to established IS practices in its public releases to demand prisoner swaps and cessation of airstrikes in return for hostages, the ASG division in Sulu that captured the Canadians, Norwegian, and German asked for financial ransoms. However, in the case German hostages Stefan Okonek and Henrike Dielen in 2014, ASG additionally made demands of the German government to halt participation in the U.S. coalition on IS in Iraq and Syria.

ASG divisions that have pledged to IS:

Additional shows of support for IS:

CONCLUSIONS

The objective of ASG is establishing an independent Islamic State in the southern Philippines, and as it pertains to the branch responsible for kidnappings in Sulu and elsewhere, focuses the majority of its operations on kidnappings-for-ransom in order to finance its jihad. While ASG is estimated to have between 200 and 400 members, operating primarily in the provinces of Sulu Archipelago and Tawi-Tawi, Philippines, it is important to remember its relationship with the Islamic State (IS) and division among its factions. Here, the fighters who conduct the majority of kidnappings appear to be independent of IS and more so financially driven.

As the group has taken on this financially-driven motive, the fate of Jurgen Kantner likely heavily relies upon the receipt of his 30 million peso ransom. In only one case, the May 15, 2015, kidnapping of Bernard Then discussed above, ASG beheaded its captive following the receipt of his ransom. In this instance, however, the group decided to raise the ransom despite receiving the previously-agreed upon sum, and in turn beheaded Then. It is widely believed that no captives are ever released without ransom, and rescue missions have unfortunately often failed in the past.

Additionally, another widespread belief is that separate militant groups operating in the Philippines regularly sell captives to ASG, as the name recognition allows for a greater sum.

ASG has grown dramatically within the past few years, likely due to its funds acquired through kidnapping, and it remains one of the most violent terrorist groups in the Philippines. Its notorious ransom and beheading videos most often feature foreign nationals, in which demands are made upon the victims’ respective governments. In 2013, Germany, the home country of Kantner, along with most other major Western countries, signed a commitment not to pay ransom to terrorist groups. Consequently, the fate of Kantner is still unknown.