US blacklists militia groups in DRC, Mozambique over Islamic State links

Islamic State recognizes new Central Africa Province

According to reports, the United States on Wednesday blacklisted two Islamist extremist groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique as foreign terrorist organizations over accusations of links to Islamic State (ISIS). 

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group operating in eastern DRC and its leader Seka Musa Baluku and Mozambique’s Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama and its leader Abu Yasir Hassan were named as “specially designated global terrorists.”

The designations prevent travel by members to the United States, freeze any U.S.-related assets, ban Americans from doing business with them and make it a crime to provide support or resources to the movements.

“The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) announced the launch of the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in April 2019 to promote the presence of ISIS associated elements within Central, East, and Southern Africa,” the State Department said in a statement.

“Although ISIS-associated media portray ISCAP as a unified structure, ISIS-DRC and ISIS-Mozambique are distinct groups with distinct origins,” it said. “These groups have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism.”

The ADF, a Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern DRC since the 1990s, has committed a spate of brutal attacks on civilians since 2019.The ADF, reportedly the most notorious foreign militia group in DRC's North Kivu Province, is blamed for the killing of more than 140 people since the start of the year. The group killed around 850 people last year, according to U.N. figures.

The DRC’s army began a campaign against the ADF in October 2019. The Congolese military offensive scattered the group, which now operates in small, mobile groups, according to a recent report by UN experts. After a brief lull in activity, it is reported, ADF attacks have been ramping up since the start of February.