Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican Attorney-General’s Office has designated 16 individuals, 14 of them Mozambican citizens and two Tanzanians, as terrorists.
The list is published in the 17 April issue of the Mozambican official gazette, the “Boletim da Republica”. The designation is made under the August 2023 law on preventing and combatting terrorism.
The first name on the list is that of 48 year old Ajame Momade Ali, better known as Ustaz or Ostaz. He is from Vamizi island, of the coast of Palma district, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
He is a trader who was arrested in possession of a wide variety of goods, including maize flour, rice, zinc sheeting and electric generators. The PGR says Ostaz was carrying these goods by boat to supply terrorist camps.
Ostaz is currently on trial before the Cabo Delgado provincial law court.
23 year old Abdula Muarabo is a fisherman from Muicomgo island, who sells foodstuffs and clothing in the village of Maculo, in Mocimboa da Praia district.
The PGR says he is a collaborator with Sheik Muamudo Ibraimo Dade, described as one of the leaders of the jihadist group. Muarabo bought and transported food, medicines, and cell phone vouchers, which he sent to Sheik Muamudo, with whom he was in regular contact.
Muarabo has been charged with membership of a terrorist organization, criminal conspiracy, and the collection of information for the terrorists.
40 year old Sumail Salimo is also a fisherman resident in Maculo village and another collaborator with Sheik Muamudo. He faces the same charges as Muarabo.
23 year old Mamudo Ismael Sefo Sante lives in the Cabo Delgado provincial capital Pemba, and works for the transport company Quimenci Investimentos.
According to the PGR, he was asked to recruit 50 youths to join the terrorist organization, on the pretext that they would work for international organisations. He was promised payment of a million meticais (15,600 dollars, at the current exchange rate).
He has been charged with membership of a terrorist organization, financing terrorism, and criminal conspiracy.
36 year old Hamza Ussuail is a resident of Palma district who joined the jihadists after they abducted his wife and daughter in February 2021. The PGR says he won the confidence of the terrorists and spied for them, extracting information from other captives. He also taught at a madrassa (Koranic school) in a terrorist base, and drove vehicles for the terrorists.
After he left their military bases, Ussuail continued to work as an informant for the jihadists. Even after he was arrested, he tried to recruit other prisoners to the terrorist cause.
His case is now before the Cabo Delgado Provincial Court, where he is charged with terrorism, membership of a terrorist organization and criminal conspiracy.
34 year old Gabriel Mmala, a native of the town of Palma, is accused of participating in the worst terrorist atrocity to date, the sack of Palma on 21 March 2021. He ordered the murder of a demobilized member of the Mozambican armed forces in the presence of his wife.
After the raid against Palma, Mmala sought refuge across the border, in Tanzania. But the Tanzanian police arrested him and repatriated him to Mozambique.
He is charged with terrorism, murder, aggravated theft, possession of banned weapons, and criminal conspiracy.
57 year old Selemane Ibraimo Selemane, from Mocimboa da Praia district, joined the terrorist group in April 2021, and underwent firearms training.
He was also a fisherman and sent his catch to the jihadist camps. He stole food from Mocimboa da Praia farms which he also sent to the terrorists.
As he attempted to flee from the Mozambican armed forces in Macomia district, he was captured by SAMIM (the SADC Military Mission in Mozambique).
He has been charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, terrorism, possession of banned weapons and criminal conspiracy.
40 year old Ali Assane Dade received military training at a jihadist camp in Mocimboa da Praia district in 2020. He attacked villages in Mocimboa da Praia, burning houses and looting property. He was captured and now faces charges of terrorism, arson, aggravated theft, and membership of a terrorist organization.
36 year old Joaquim Xavier received military training in a terrorist camp in Palma district in 2020, and then participated in raids against a series of Palma villages. He faces charges of terrorism, aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organization.
32 year old Muadine Rachide, from Palma district, took part in sabotage missions in Quissanga district, where he killed four people, burnt down houses and looted property. He now faces charges of terrorism, murder, arson, aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organization.
54 year old Anzane Saide, from Mocimboa da Praia, received military training from a terrorist leader of Tanzanian nationality, named as Abu Fassaro.
Saide took part in the murder of seven women who were trying to leave the terrorist group. He was arrested by Mozambican troops while he was trying to steal cassava from local farms. He faces charges of terrorism, aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organisation.
The oldest man on the list is 77 year old Amir Yassine Chabire from Mocimboa da Praia, who joined the terrorist group in 2020. He stole food from local farmers, in order to feed the jihadist camps.
He was arrested while trying to escape from an offensive by the Mozambican armed forces, and now faces charges of terrorism, aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organization.
23 year old Seleimane Mussa, a farmer and trader from Macomia district, was also trained under Abu Fassaro. He was a sentry charged with looking out for the approach of Mozambican troops. He too has been charged with terrorism, aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organization.
29 year old Isac Nampambula, from Mocimboa da Praia, is another of those trained under Abu Fassaro. He was given the task of preventing kidnapped people from escaping.
Nampambula is the only one of those named who has already been tried. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment when the Cabo Delgado Provincial Court last year found him guilty of terrorism, aggravated theft, membership of a terrorist organization and criminal conspiracy.
As for the two Tanzanians, 47 year old Ally Yussuf Liwangwa (who uses the nom-de-guerre “Big Ally”) is a trader and traditional healer from Dar es Salaam.
He was one of those who contacted Mamudo Ismael Sefo Sante, and asked him to recruit 50 youths into the terrorist group, for which he would be paid a million meticais. He faces charges of membership of a terrorist organisation, instigating terrorism and financing terrorism.
The second Tanzanian, 36 year old Safina Maulana, is the only woman in the group. She is a native of the Tanzanian province of Ntwara. But worked with the jihadists in Palma.
She cooked for the terrorists and washed their clothes. But she also stole food from local farms. She faces charges of aggravated theft and membership of a terrorist organization.
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