Washington on Monday announced sanctions targeting members of the Islamic State operating in South Africa as well as the companies they control, in retaliation for their support of the terrorist group.
The US’ Treasury department said this is an attempt to crackdown on the alleged emergence of Africa as a key site of ISIS renewal.
In a statement released by the US Treasury on Monday, four “key individuals in Isis’s network in South Africa” have become the latest additions to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) sanctions list.
The four are named as Durban-based businessman Nufael Akbar, Yunus Muhamad Akbar, Muhamad Akbar and Umar Akbar.
The Durban businessman, Farhad Hoomer, was among those arrested in 2018 over an attack at a mosque in Verulam, outside Durban, and was also accused of planting explosive devices around Durban. The case ended up struck off the roll in 2020 amid delays from prosecutors, according to reports.
“Today, Treasury is targeting key individuals in Isis’s network in South Africa, as well as their business assets, who have played pivotal roles in enabling terrorism and other criminal activities in the region,” said Brian E. Nelson.
The move to blacklist four individuals and eight companies, freezing any US assets and denying them the ability to use the US financial system.
“The United States, as part of the global Coalition to Defeat Isis, will continue to partner with South Africa to deny Isis the ability to exploit the country’s economy to raise and move funds to support the growth of Isis affiliates and networks,” Nelson said.
In October the US released a warning advising that extremists were planning on launching an attack on large gatherings in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The Joburg pride march was said to be the alleged intend target. The march took place without any disturbance.
Source: Source: News24, Daily Maverick, Eyewitness News, image from Twitter: @Dajjalic