US government release list of newly ‘blacklisted’ terrorists leaders in Africa

In a bid to curtail activities of terrorism in Africa and around the globe, the United States government has on Friday added names of terrorists leaders to those previously blacklisted.

There are five names of Islamic jihadists groups in Africa which were blacklisted by the US government, saying their access to any property or interests they may have in the United States should be blocked.

Those added are 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 (JNIM).