US imposes sanctions on IS affiliates in Africa

The US announced on Tuesday that it had imposed sanctions on groups in Africa affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (IS). State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press statement that "The US is taking action today to advance the mission of the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG), which supports international efforts to curb financing of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) worldwide." Miller said the sanctions targeted three individuals within a network linked to expanded IS activities in Africa, noting that these individuals were key financiers and enablers of ISIS activities across Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. Miller added that they serve as critical links between far-flung IS operations and allow IS leadership to leverage each affiliate's capabilities to undermine peace and security in the region. "Their destabilizing impact spans much of Sub-Saharan Africa, which underscores the need for the international community to continue to work together to share information on tran snational ISIS networks, their evolving financial methods, and measures to combat them" Miller said. The US Department of the Treasury's sanctions actions were taken pursuant to counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, targeting "terrorist groups and their supporters." The CIFG is a working group of the Global Coalition to Defeat IS, which includes over 80 countries and international organizations. Source: Kuwait News Agency