The United States has designated Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan Haj Hamad and Mohamed Makawi Ibrahim Mohamed as terrorists. As a result of this designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which these two terrorists have any interest is blocked and any assets they have are frozen. U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any tranactions with them. “This action,” said the U.S. State Department, “will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to these terrorists.”
Abdelbasit and Makawi were involved in the January 1, 2008, murders of U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, diplomat John Granville and USAID employee Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama. Granville, a U.S. citizen, and Abbas, a Sudanese national, were leaving a New Year’s Eve celebration in Khartoum, Sudan, when gunmen opened fire on their car, killing both of them.
Granville was credited with being the driving force behind the distribution of over 200,000 solar-powered radios used to inform people in remote areas of Sudan of their rights and responsibilities under the historic 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and subsequent national elections. Abbas was born in Juba, now the capital of South Sudan, and began his USAID career in 2004 as one of the original members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team for Darfur.
Five men were tried and convicted in 2009 by a Sudanese court for their involvement in the murders. Four of those men, including Abdelbasit and Makawi, were condemned to death by escaped from prison on June 10, 2010, before their sentences could be carried out. Abdelbasit and Makawi remain at large and are believed to be in Somalia.
Makawi has ties to the Sudan-based terrorist organization al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Niles, which has conspired to attack other U.S., Western, and Sudanese targets. He was the leader of the attack that killed Mr. Granville and Mr. Abbas and was identified as one of the gunmen. Makawi was born in 1984 in Sudan and speaks English and Arabic.
Abdelbasit was the second shooter in the attack. He was born in Sudan and has used birthdates in 1979 and 1983. He also speaks English and Arabic.
In addition to designating these two men as terrorists, the U.S. State Department has authorized rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the capture of Adelbasit and Makawi.
Abdelbasit and Makawi were involved in the January 1, 2008, murders of U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, diplomat John Granville and USAID employee Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama. Granville, a U.S. citizen, and Abbas, a Sudanese national, were leaving a New Year’s Eve celebration in Khartoum, Sudan, when gunmen opened fire on their car, killing both of them.
Granville was credited with being the driving force behind the distribution of over 200,000 solar-powered radios used to inform people in remote areas of Sudan of their rights and responsibilities under the historic 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and subsequent national elections. Abbas was born in Juba, now the capital of South Sudan, and began his USAID career in 2004 as one of the original members of the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team for Darfur.
Five men were tried and convicted in 2009 by a Sudanese court for their involvement in the murders. Four of those men, including Abdelbasit and Makawi, were condemned to death by escaped from prison on June 10, 2010, before their sentences could be carried out. Abdelbasit and Makawi remain at large and are believed to be in Somalia.
Makawi has ties to the Sudan-based terrorist organization al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Niles, which has conspired to attack other U.S., Western, and Sudanese targets. He was the leader of the attack that killed Mr. Granville and Mr. Abbas and was identified as one of the gunmen. Makawi was born in 1984 in Sudan and speaks English and Arabic.
Abdelbasit was the second shooter in the attack. He was born in Sudan and has used birthdates in 1979 and 1983. He also speaks English and Arabic.
In addition to designating these two men as terrorists, the U.S. State Department has authorized rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the capture of Adelbasit and Makawi.
