Page 8 - DMEA Week 45 2022

DMEA SECURITY & POLICY DMEA

US targets Islamic State cell in South

Africa for ties to Mozambique insurgency

AFRICA THE US has sanctioned four members of an Sandton, north of Johannesburg. It did not pro-
Islamic State (ISIS) cell in South Africa and eight vide more information.
companies linked to them for supporting terror- Islamic State previously threatened to attack
ism in the region. South Africa for its involvement in a counter-in-
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday (November surgency operation in neighbouring Mozam-
8) that the US State Department named Nufael bique, where the Islamist militants have been
Akbar, Yunus Mohamad Akbar, Mohamad carrying out attacks since 2017.
Akbar and Umar Akbar as associates of ISIS cell South Africa is among the 16 members of the
leader Farhad Hoomer, who continues to pur- Southern African Development Community
sue the terrorist group’s objectives in southern (SADC) that deployed forces in July 2021 to help
Africa and express the will and intent to attack the Mozambican government quell the violence.
the interests of the US and its allies. The Islamist insurgency in northern Mozam-
“Treasury is targeting key individuals in bique has resulted in the deaths of more than
ISIS’s network in South Africa, as well as their 4,000, mainly civilians and displaced more than
business assets, who have played pivotal roles 800,000. It has also hampered investment in the
in enabling terrorism and other criminal activ- area, including multi-billion dollar liquefied nat-
ities in the region,” Brian E. Nelson, Treasury’s ural gas (LNG) projects planned by supermajors
undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial ExxonMobil (US) and TotalEnergies (France).
Intelligence, said in a statement on Monday. US State Department spokesperson Ned
The measures freeze and block any potential Price said in a statement, “as part of the Global
transactions with US entities and citizens from Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the United States will
doing business with the designated parties The continue to partner with South Africa to deny
sanctions on the quartet and their businesses ISIS the ability to exploit the country’s economy
came days after the US Embassy in South Africa to raise and transfer funds in support of ISIS ter-
warned that there is a risk of a terror attack in rorist activities.” ™

COMPANIES
Morocco’s Gaia Energy signs deal with

Israeli H2Pro for green hydrogen facility

AFRICA MOROCCAN renewable energy developer
Gaia Energy has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Israeli firm H2Pro
for the establishment of a green hydrogen facil-
ity, Gaia CEO Moundir Zniber said in an inter-
view with the Israeli press.
The agreement, which took place on the side-
lines of the COP27 climate conference in Egypt’s
Sharm El Sheikh, aims to produce enough green
hydrogen to meet a fifth of demand in Europe.
It also paves the way for further co-operation
between the two parties to manufacture H2Pro’s The two companies signed an agreement on November 8 (Photo: H2Pro)
electrolysers in Morocco.
Morocco has focused on developing its photovoltaic (PV) panels.
renewable energy generation capacity recently Morocco cut relations with Israel in 2000 fol-
and has been attracting large projects for energy lowing the outbreak of the second Palestinian
production using wind turbines and solar intifada.

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 45 10•November•2022