US puts senior African militia members on terror blacklist

The US State Department has added five alleged senior members of militant 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 Daesh-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 on Saturday.

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 Sidanag Hitta and Salem ould Breihmatt, senior leaders of the Mali-based Al Qaeda branch Jama'at Nasr al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).

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

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

"I am announcing the designation of five terrorist leaders in Africa...as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs)," 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.

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