US Blacklists Five ‘Terrorist Leaders’ In Africa

The US State Department on Friday added five alleged senior
members of jihadist groups in Africa to its terror blacklist,
blocking access to any property or interests they may have in the
United States.

Heading the additions was Bonomade Machude Omar, the senior
commander of ISIS-Mozambique, who led the deadly attack on the
Amarula Hotel in the town of Palma in March, Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In the Palma assault, the jihadists reportedly beheaded
residents and ransacked buildings, killing at least a dozen and
displacing more than 8,000. Omar is also responsible for other
attacks in Mozambique and Tanzania, Blinken said.

Also named on the State Department’s Specially Designated Global
Terrorists list were Sidan ag Hitta and Salem ould Breihmatt,
senior leaders of the Mali-based Al-Qaeda branch Jama’at Nasr
al-Islam wal Muslimin.

Ali Mohamed Rage, a spokesman for extremist militant group
Al-Shabaab, and Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, an operations planner
for the same group, were also included.

Blinken said both had planned attacks for al-Shabaab, which
Washington deemed a terrorist movement in 2008.

“I am announcing the designation of five terrorist leaders in
Africa… as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” Blinken said in
the statement.

The State Department listing will freeze any assets the
individuals may have in the United States and makes it a crime to
assist them.

The United States “is committed to disrupting the financing
methods of ISIS-Mozambique, JNIM, and al-Shabaab… limiting their
abilities to conduct further attacks against civilians,” Blinken
added.

The US State Department on Friday added five alleged senior
members of jihadist groups in Africa to its terror blacklist,
blocking access to any property or interests they may have in the
United States.

Heading the additions was Bonomade Machude Omar, the senior
commander of ISIS-Mozambique, who led the deadly attack on the
Amarula Hotel in the town of Palma in March, Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In the Palma assault, the jihadists reportedly beheaded
residents and ransacked buildings, killing at least a dozen and
displacing more than 8,000. Omar is also responsible for other
attacks in Mozambique and Tanzania, Blinken said.

Also named on the State Department’s Specially Designated Global
Terrorists list were Sidan ag Hitta and Salem ould Breihmatt,
senior leaders of the Mali-based Al-Qaeda branch Jama’at Nasr
al-Islam wal Muslimin.

Ali Mohamed Rage, a spokesman for extremist militant group
Al-Shabaab, and Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, an operations planner
for the same group, were also included.

Blinken said both had planned attacks for al-Shabaab, which
Washington deemed a terrorist movement in 2008.

“I am announcing the designation of five terrorist leaders in
Africa… as Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” Blinken said in
the statement.

The State Department listing will freeze any assets the
individuals may have in the United States and makes it a crime to
assist them.

The United States “is committed to disrupting the financing
methods of ISIS-Mozambique, JNIM, and al-Shabaab… limiting their
abilities to conduct further attacks against civilians,” Blinken
added.