The European Union sanctioned the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) and two of its leaders Abu Yasir Hassan and Bonomade Machude Omar. The sanctions were announced after a meeting in Brussels Belgium and are aimed at tightening the noose against the Daesh and other terror organizations as well as people and entities that support their operations.
The EU said that the sanctions on the group and its people are a direct response to the actions of the group that have caused grave human rights abuses as well as indiscriminate violence that poses a serious threat to the EU as well as regional and international stability.
With the new listings, a total of 15 persons are now subject to an EU travel ban and an asset freeze, while five groups have been slapped with an asset freeze so far. The Eu further emphasized its commitment to countering the growing threat to international peace and security posed by Daesh and Al-Qaeda and all their regional affiliates such as ISM.
Since the emergence of the terror organization in Mozambique in 2017, the EU has rendered a variety of multidimensional support to Mozambique in Cabo Delgado province. The integrated approach includes humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, and security actions is crucial to effectively tackle the issue. Additionally, the deployment of the EU military training mission and the provision of non-lethal equipment through the European Peace Facility, along with the assistance of counter-terrorism experts, has been gradually enhancing the capacity of Mozambican security forces to address the violence in the region.
