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Tag: terrorist

  • Ghana beefs up measures for terrorism fight with UNOCT agreement

    Ghana beefs up measures for terrorism fight with UNOCT agreement

    Ghana has formalized a strategic partnership with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) through the signing of a Letter of Agreement (LoA).

    This collaboration is aimed at strengthening efforts against terrorism and addressing its links with transnational organized crime.

    The LoA will facilitate technical support for Ghana under the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme. This initiative is focused on enhancing national capacities to manage threats associated with terrorist travel, leveraging Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Records (PNR).

    The agreement was signed by Mauro Miedico, Director of UNOCT, and Albert Kan-Dapaah, Ghana’s Minister for National Security. The signing ceremony took place in Budapest, Hungary, during the Forum celebrating the 5th Anniversary of the UN’s Countering Terrorist Travel Programme.

    Miedico expressed appreciation for Ghana’s ongoing cooperation and robust engagement with UNOCT, highlighting the significance of this partnership in bolstering both national and regional security.

    Kan-Dapaah, in turn, recognized the valuable support from UNOCT and reiterated Ghana’s commitment to implementing the agreed measures effectively.

    The LoA will support the UN in assisting Ghana to enhance its abilities to detect and intercept terrorists and other criminal elements. This aligns with Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and 2482 (2019), which require Member States to ensure airlines operating within their jurisdictions provide API and PNR data to national authorities.

    Launched in 2019, the UN Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme is a global initiative aimed at equipping Member States with tools to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorist and serious crimes.

    It involves the collection and analysis of passenger data in line with Security Council resolutions, international standards, best practices, and human rights considerations.

    The Programme, led by UNOCT, employs a “One-UN” approach to deliver tailored and comprehensive assistance to Member States.

    It collaborates with various UN bodies and international organizations to support 76 Member States, 57 of which receive direct technical assistance. The initiative also fosters regional cooperation by sharing insights and best practices on passenger data exchange.

  • Northern Mali a hub for terrorist activities targeting travelers – Foreign Affairs Ministry

    Northern Mali a hub for terrorist activities targeting travelers – Foreign Affairs Ministry

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has released a cautionary advisory advising Ghanaians against traveling to select areas in Northern Mali.


    According to an official statement, the Ministry highlighted recent security issues along major highways connecting Mali and Niger, specifically in the Gao and Ansongo Regions in Northern Mali.


    Instances of terrorist activities targeting travelers along these routes were cited as the reason for concern.


    The Ministry affirmed its commitment to the safety of Ghanaians and pledged to provide updates on the security situation in the referenced region as necessary.


    In light of these developments, the Foreign Affairs Ministry encouraged the general public to prioritize their safety while traveling.

    See the full statement below:

  • Daniel Khalife, suspected terrorist seen in Wandsworth

    Daniel Khalife, suspected terrorist seen in Wandsworth

    The police have said they saw Daniel Khalife, the person who escaped from custody for terrorist activities, in the southwest part of London.

    According to someone who saw it, a man who looked like Khalife was seen walking away from a BidFood van near the south entrance to Wandsworth Roundabout on Wednesday morning. This happened about a mile away from Wandsworth Prison, as reported by Scotland Yard.

    They said Khalife was seen at the top of Trinity Road soon after he escaped.

    The 21-year-old person who used to be in the military was seen later walking in the direction of Wandsworth town centre.

    The police believe that the sighting is very important and is one of the main things they are investigating.

    The police are offering a reward of £20,000 to anyone who provides information about a person who has been accused of spying on Britain for Iran.

    Over 100 people have told authorities that they have seen Khalife.

    The police have said before that the ex-soldier’s training in the military might make it more difficult to catch him.

    It is believed that the 22-year-old, who was waiting for trial because of terrorism and Official Secrets Act crimes, managed to escape by attaching himself to the bottom of a delivery van.

    A British soldier named Dr Patrick Bury believes that someone probably helped a person escape from Wandsworth jail. He thinks that the person who escaped is either very fortunate or very clever, and if they are clever, they likely had assistance from others.

  • UK police search largest park in London over escaped terrorist suspect

    UK police search largest park in London over escaped terrorist suspect

    Police in London are searching the city’s biggest park for a runaway suspect who escaped from jail by attaching himself to the bottom of a truck.

    The police are looking for something in Richmond Park, which is in southwest London. This is because they saw the van that Daniel Khalife used to leave Wandsworth prison nearby.

    Khalife, pretending to be a chef, planned and carried out a daring escape from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday morning. According to the UK’s PA Media news agency, a 21-year-old person who is currently in the British military is waiting for a trial on terror charges. They are accused of putting fake bombs at a military base.

    A spokesperson from the Met Police said that the police activity in Richmond Park is connected to the search for Daniel Khalife when asked by the media.

    There were a lot of police officers in the park all night and into Friday morning.

    Richmond Park is the biggest of London’s Royal Parks. It is also called a National Nature Reserve. The park covers an area of 2,500 acres. This park is loved by families and people who want to get away from the city. It is well-known for having lots of deer living there.

    The Metropolitan Police announced on Friday that they are investigating whether someone from Wandsworth prison assisted Khalife in his escape.

    Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, said on a radio station called LBC that the escape from prison was clearly planned in advance.

    “He mentioned that there are obviously some things to consider when strapping himself to the bottom of the wagon. The police will examine everything as part of their investigation. ”

    Rowley said he was very worried that Khalife, who is accused of terror and Official Secrets Act crimes, is free and asked people in southwestern London to report any sightings of him.

    On Thursday, the British government promised to find Khalife. This happened on the second day of the search.

    On Thursday, the police explained step by step how Khalife managed to escape.

    The soldier was reported as missing at 7:50 a. m, according to what they said. The police got a call 25 minutes later, and they found the delivery van at 8:37 a. mJust two miles to the east of the prison, located on a street in Putney, which can be found in southwest London.

    At that time, Khalife had left and the only thing left from his escape was the strong belts found under the van.

    British Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announced that the government will start a separate inquiry into the event. Speaking to the UK parliament on Thursday, Chalk mentioned that he had already requested an internal investigation regarding the choice to transfer Khalife to a less secure prison.

    Opposition Members of Parliament in Britain criticized the ruling Conservative government after a prison escape. They accused ministers of causing serious problems for the judicial system because of years of financial cutbacks.

  • Niger coup: Gbagbo tells ECOWAS to “Use standby force to fight terrorists”

    Niger coup: Gbagbo tells ECOWAS to “Use standby force to fight terrorists”

    The Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) announced plans to send its reserve force into Niger have drawn criticism from the former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo.

    The action is a part of strategies to undo the July 26 coup that led to President Mohamed Bazoum’s ouster.

    In an interview earlier this week, Gbagbo criticized the president of Ivory Coast for allegedly preparing to send Ivorian military on the ground before branding any action “madness.”

    “When I heard Alassane Ouattara say he is going to send a battalion to Niger, I laughed so much. You can tell he didn’t make the Army. I made the army. One battalion is three companies. You can’t occupy BoboDioulasso neighborhood with that.”

    “I advise ECOWAS to use its standby force to fight terrorists in West Africa,” he said.

    “Bazoum’s fate is already sealed. It will be madness to send soldiers to Niger for free killings,” he stressed adding that he expected the junta in Niamey to release Bazoum who remains under detention.

    “I want Bazoum to be released, but I don’t want this war to take place. It would be the most stupid war,” he stressed in the August 22 interview with Le Monde Afrique.

    Former head of state of Nigeria and ECOWAS mediator Abdul salami Abubakar told the BBC this week that there was hope for a diplomatic solution and that no one desired violence. However, a security expert with a focus on West Africa has revealed that a deployment is about to take place and that six nations, including Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria, are prepared to provide troops.

  • TikTok, Telegram banned in Somalia to curb propaganda by “terrorist”

    TikTok, Telegram banned in Somalia to curb propaganda by “terrorist”

    On Sunday, the Somali government issued a directive to prohibit the use of TikTok, Telegram, and an online betting website, asserting that these platforms were being exploited by “terrorist” entities for the dissemination of propaganda.

    This decision has been made in anticipation of the forthcoming second phase of the military operation against the radical Islamist group Shebab. This group has been engaged in a violent uprising against the central government in Mogadishu for over 15 years.

    In an official announcement, the Ministry of Communication and Technology declared that it had instructed internet service providers to terminate access to the aforementioned three platforms by August 24th. Failure to comply would result in legal measures being taken, the specifics of which were not detailed.

    As per the ministry’s statement, TikTok, Telegram, and the 1XBET website are utilized by “terrorist” entities and “entities promoting immorality” to distribute graphic images and videos that propagate violence and manipulate public perception.

    According to the ministry, banning them will “speed up the war (…) against the terrorists who have spilled the blood of the people of Somalia”.

    Starting from August 2022, the Somali military has been actively involved in an offensive operation against the Shebab, a group with affiliations to al-Qaeda. This operation is being conducted in collaboration with local clan militias, and it’s receiving support from African Union forces as well as American airstrikes.

    Although Shebab militants were expelled from Mogadishu in 2011, they have entrenched themselves deeply in expansive rural regions. From these areas, they persistently launch attacks targeting both security forces and civilians.

    Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud is committed to eradicating Islamist militias from the nation. It is anticipated that he might imminently unveil the second stage of the military campaign aimed at countering the Shebab in the southern parts of the country.

  • Terrorists kidnap farmers in a new attack in the Northwest

    Terrorists kidnap farmers in a new attack in the Northwest

    When terrorists raided five towns in the Batsari region of Katsina State on Tuesday morning, some farmers who were working on their farms were kidnapped.

    The villages of Nahuta, Madogara, Dan Tsuntsu, Zamfarawa, and Salihar Dadare provided the farmers who were abducted.

    35 persons, mostly farmers working on their farms, were still missing following the attacks, according to a health worker in the Dan Tsuntsu hamlet who requested anonymity for security concerns.

    “The bandits began their operations (attacks) around 9:00 a.m. when farmers started working on their farms. They would just go into the farm, scare people and abduct the unlucky ones,” he said over the phone. He was in Batsari town when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter called him, and he said he might not be returning to Dan Tsuntsu anytime soon.

    He claimed that more than 10 farmers had been kidnapped in only his village.

    The terrorists, who arrived in the area in motorcycles, abducted men and women, including children working on their farms, and took them into a part of the Rugu forest, which the terrorists from Katsina and Zamfara use as hideouts.

    “My nephew was among those abducted. He is a twelve-year-old boy and couldn’t run when the bandits started shooting into the air. He went to the farm with his father, my older brother. It was later that we saw my brother who ran, but the son is still with the terrorists,” another local from Dan Tsuntsu, who also asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone.

    “We don’t go to our farms now because of fear of attacks,” another resident, Bello Nahuta, told PREMIUM TIMES. “Even last week, they came on over sixty motorcycles and abducted several people, including my neighbour. His family had to pay N100,000 to secure his release. Things are becoming hard for us.”

    When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Sadik, said 14 people were kidnapped during the attack.

    “Fourteen people were kidnapped in Madogara village. Investigation is ongoing as efforts are on with a view to rescuing the kidnapped victims and arresting the perpetrators, please,” he said in a message sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

    Terrorists operating in the North-west, especially Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states, are known to intensify attacks during the rainy season which residents believe is to compel local authorities into dialogue with them.

    “The rainy season also gives them the opportunity to launch attacks and quickly hide without the security agents able to trace them. They also intensify such attacks during the season to make life difficult for the Hausa people in the local communities because they know farming is the most important occupation to the Hausas,” Saifullahi Kauraye, a public affairs analyst, said.

  • Village in northern Mali taken over by jihadist

    Village in northern Mali taken over by jihadist

    An Islamic State-affiliated Mali jihadist organization has taken control of a village in Ménaka, which is now largely under militant control.

    Following months of warfare, the Islamist terrorists captured another village, Tidermene, on Monday night.

    The terrorists were reportedly going around the area with guns, according to a local official who escaped to the regional seat Ménaka and confirmed the capture.

    In this area as well as in Gao, another province of northern Mali, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has begun a significant attack since early last year.

    In addition to former Tuareg rebels who agreed to a peace agreement in 2015, there have been conflicts with fighters linked to Al-Qaeda.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Police, Immigration refute claims of blame game over arrested terrorists

    Police, Immigration refute claims of blame game over arrested terrorists

    Allegations that the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Immigration Service were at odds over the whereabouts of roughly 48 accused terrorists have been rejected.

    The publication was untrue and should be ignored, according to a statement jointly released and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, and Chief Superintendent of Immigration Micheal Amoako-Atta, Head of Public Affairs.

    “The attention of the Police Service and Immigration Service has been drawn to a publication by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper – on the front page and page 12 – of Thursday, January 5, 2023, which story has also since been carried by other media houses alleging that there is a blame game between the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Immigration Service over the whereabouts of some 48 alleged terrorists.”

    It said that unlike what the Ghanaian Times Newspaper had “falsely claimed,” no alleged terrorists had been detained by the Police or Immigration, and there was undoubtedly no blame-shifting between the two state security services.

    In two separate operations at Ekyem, Achiase, and Akokoamong near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region in September 2022, the Police and Immigration detained 48 foreign people for engaging in illicit Network Marketing (QNET), according to the statement, per reports from the Ghana News Agency.

    It stated that between September 26 and September 29, 2022, all 48 individuals were returned to their various home nations after being profiled in accordance with the two institutions’ established operating protocols.

    The statement advised the general public, in particular the media, to use caution when referring to “terrorists” and to refrain from doing so in a way that would incite unnecessary fear and panic in a peaceful country.

    However, the statement stated that the two state security organizations would continue to cooperate and work together in order to fulfill their separate mandates for Ghana’s benefit.

  • Just in: ‘Terrorists planning attacks on US,’ UK warns citizens

    The United Kingdom has warned that terrorists are planning to attack the United States while advising its citizens in the country to be vigilant and avoid public gatherings.

    According to the UK, in an updated travel advisory to its citizens in the US on Friday, the terrorists might target places where foreigners gather or crowded areas as well as transportation channels.

    This is coming barely a week after the US and the UK issued security alerts that terrorists were planning to attack Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

    It could also be not unconnected with the security alert by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to Americans in New Jersey that terrorists were planning to attack synagogues.

    The FBI said it received credible information about a “broad” threat to synagogues in New Jersey urging them to “take all security precautions to protect your community and facility.”

    The UK said, “Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the USA. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners, crowded areas, and transportation networks. You should monitor media reports and be vigilant at all times.”

    “The main threat comes from individuals who may have been inspired by terrorist ideology to carry out so-called ‘lone actor’ attacks targeting public events or places. Attacks could take place with little or no notice.”

    In connection the alert, the UK government said the US might deploy security agents in public places to foil possible attacks adding that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued information on credible threats.

    “The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides public information about credible threats. Expect an increased presence of law enforcement and tight security at public places and events.

    “This may include a heavy police presence, additional restrictions and searches on bags, and the use of screening technologies. For all current alerts within the USA and its territories, visit the DHS website.

    “There’s a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time,” it said.

     

    Source: Vanguard News

  • 42 people hospitalized in Kyiv says Klitschko

    Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, has revised his statement on the status of affairs in the Ukrainian capital.

    He says “Russian barbarians” have launched a “major terrorist attack” on Kyiv, where at least five people have died on Monday.

    Mr Klitschko added: “In Kyiv, in the morning and throughout the day, several areas were hit. In particular, in the city centre.

    “The rabid aggressor also hit several objects of the capital’s critical infrastructure.”

    He said that, so far, it is understood five people have died and 51 injured.

    Of these, 42 were hospitalised.

    “The threat of new strikes continues,” Mr Klitschko added.

    You can listen to full media briefing of the two presidents, in Swahili and English, here:

    The deal was said to be part of a longer-term plan to expand infrastructure links between the two big economies of East Africa.