Are Red Flags About IS in South Africa Alarmist?

Alarm bells about the threat of terrorism in South Africa have recently been sounding more stridently and more often, writes Peter Fabricius for the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

This comes after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on South African-based brothers Nufael Akbar and Yunus Mohamad Akbar, as well as Mohamad Akbar and Umar Akbar, 'members of an [Islamic State] cell operating in South Africa who have provided technical, financial, or material support' to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS).

All four, the U.S. Treasury added, were associated with Farhad Hoomer, whom it described as the leader of the Durban-based cell. The U.S. had sanctioned Hoomer and three others in March for similar offences. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury issued a security alert about a possible terrorist attack in the upmarket Sandton commercial district during in October 2022.

The ISS adds that the Financial Action Task Force - a global intergovernmental watchdog of money laundering and terrorist financing - seems likely to add South Africa to its grey list soon. This is partly because 'South Africa has failed to demonstrate that it is effectively identifying, investigating or prosecuting terrorist financiers or addressing terrorism finance through alternate measures.'

Furthermore, U.S. actions against IS in South Africa are creating tensions with the authorities. In October, President Cyril Ramaphosa criticised the U.S.. for issuing the Sandton terror alert without consulting his government - although U.S. sources hinted that Pretoria had been informed.