Omar Chalendi (Jihadi Militant, Tunisia)

• Full name: Omar Farouk Chalendi
• Pseudonym: N/a
• Alternatives: N/a
• Location: Somalia, fmr France, fmr Tunisia
• Affiliation: Islamic Courts Union [ICU], fmr Zarzis Module [CdZ]

Omar Chalendi was a Tunisian jihadi from Zarzis. In the early 2000s, he was a member of the Zarzis Module [CdZ; Cellule de Zarzis]. On Feb. 26, 2003, security forces apprehended Chalendi after he had publicly called for an attack on a police station in Zarzis.¹ The authorities subsequently rolled up the outfit. A court sentenced Chalendi and his associates to prison in April 2004.² International human rights activist launched a campaign against their incarceration.³ In February 2006, Chalendi was freed by the Tunisian authorities.⁴ He subsequently traveled to France. In the summer of that 2006, Chalendi went to Somalia where he joined the Islamic Courts Union [ICU; Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga].⁵ Ethiopian troops eliminated him during clashes near the border with Kenya in February 2007.⁶