Mozambique and DR Congo rebels classified as terrorists by the United States

The US has designated rebel groups in Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique as foreign terrorist organisations.

It said the groups, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Al Ansar al-Sunna, locally known as al-Shabaab in Mozambique, were affiliated to the global jihadist group Islamic State (ISIS).

Their leaders have been named as “specially designated global terrorists” and they now face sanctions as a result of the designations.

“Among other consequences, all property and interests in property of those designated that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them,” the US state department said in a statement.

The ADF is one of many rebel groups operating in eastern DR Congo, a mineral-rich area where government and UN forces have long battled to bring stability.

The group has reportedly killed hundreds of civilians since the the country’s army launched an operation against them in late 2019.

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Mozambique’s Ansar al-Sunna has been responsible for dozens of terror attacks in recent years, killing more than 1,300 civilians since October 2017, the statement noted.