Iranian woman arrested in US for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan
via The Namibian4 min read
US authorities have arrested Shamim Mafi, an Iranian national with an American green card, at Los Angeles airport on Saturday for allegedly trafficking arms to Sudan. Prosecutors accuse Mafi, 44, of brokering the sale of Iranian-manufactured drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan's defense ministry, including a €60m drone contract. She is accused of breaching US sanctions against Iran. An FBI criminal complaint states Mafi coordinated a Sudanese delegation's travel to Iran, received over €6m in payments, and submitted a "letter of intent" to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to broker the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses. Mafi, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016, is said to have used "informal exchange entities" to evade US sanctions. She was reportedly about to board a flight to Turkey when arrested. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison. The arrest highlights the "murky world" of arms brokering, according to Justin Lynch of Conflict Insights Group, and suggests Sudan's desperation for weapons amidst its civil war. Sudan's relationship with Iran has fluctuated, with ties restored after the 2023 civil war to bolster weapons supplies.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Aska Ndategako Orlale, 32, recently fulfilled her dream of discovering her Kenyan roots and meeting her paternal relatives. Her journey to Kenya last month, made possible through tracing relatives on Facebook and X, coincided with the 24th anniversary of her late father, Kenneth Orlale. Her father, an English teacher, had moved from Nairobi to Windhoek before Namibia's independence in 1990, working under the United Nations Development Programme. He met Aska's mother, Hertha Kuume, in Namibia. Aska, a Namibian-Kenyan, traveled to Nairobi, where she was met by her uncles, Dan and Martin Orlale, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Her 14-day itinerary included visits to her father’s grave in Lambwe Valley, Homa Bay County, meeting his friends and former schoolmates, and addressing students at Kamato Mixed Secondary, a school her father started. She also enjoyed a game drive at Ruma National Park and a boat ride in Lake Victoria, visiting mausoleums of Kenyan freedom fighters. Aska's trip was an emotional journey of self-discovery, reminiscent of Alex Hailey's 'Roots' and Barack Obama's visits to his Kenyan fatherland.
Zambezi Exploration, a petroleum exploration licence holder, lost an urgent application in the Windhoek High Court regarding a petroleum exploration licence for block 2812A. The company claimed a rival, Vena Gemstones & Mining, was awarded the licence after intervention from State House. Acting judge David Mangota ruled that Zambezi Exploration's application did not meet the requirements for an urgent matter, stating that the urgency was self-created. Zambezi Exploration's chief executive, Risco Mutelo, alleged that the current minister of industries, mines and energy, Modestus Amutse, decided to grant Vena Gemstones & Mining the licence following a letter from State House in December last year, which he claimed instructed Amutse to proceed with issuing the licence to Vena Gemstones & Mining for block 2812Ab. Mutelo further claimed Amutse's decision was unlawful as no licence application from Vena Gemstones & Mining was pending at the time. Amutse filed a counter-application, asking the court to declare Zambezi Exploration's licence application lapsed in February, September, or November 2023, and to nullify all decisions made by then minister Tom Alweendo after Zambezi Exploration's application lapsed. Mangota noted that Zambezi Exploration was aware since January 2023 that Canadian Global Energy Corp relinquished its interest in block 2812Ab but did not apply for the licence itself, instead waiting until later to act. The court struck the application from the urgent roll and
Swapo will proceed with its 66th-anniversary celebrations on Sunday, April 26, 2026, while respecting a court order that allows ex-combatants to continue their protest at the party’s head office in Windhoek. Information secretary Hilma Nicanor confirmed that the celebrations will go ahead, stating that the party respects the law and the court ruling in favor of the ex-combatants. She added that the party's leadership will meet to determine the way forward. The group of war veterans has been camping at the party’s head office since October, demanding accountability for funds they claim were allocated to help exiled Namibians return home before independence. An urgent application by Swapo to evict the group was struck off the roll of the Windhoek High Court last week. Group spokesperson Matheus Nangolo stated they would not leave and expects more ex-combatants to join until their grievances are addressed. Party president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah congratulated members, veterans, supporters, and sympathizers for sustaining the party over the decades, highlighting its role in the struggle for independence and building a prosperous Namibia.
Must ReadNamibia and Zambia are in discussions to undertake a joint dredging project on the Zambezi River. This initiative aims to deepen waterways and reduce the impact of severe seasonal flooding, which has displaced over 1,510 people in Namibia's Zambezi region, particularly in the Kabbe South and Kabbe North constituencies. The floods have submerged homes, schools, clinics, crop fields, and roads. Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi confirmed the negotiations, stating that the Zambezi River has become shallow and cannot accommodate the high influx of water. He mentioned that a dredging machine procured in 2015 is being prepared and is expected to be operational by the end of the month. The plan is to start dredging the Zambezi River once Zambia renews the dredging agreement. Additionally, there are plans to dredge inland streams to a depth of two meters to increase water catchment and prevent overflowing. Zambezi governor Dorothy Kabula-Simushi noted that no flood-related deaths have been reported, and affected families and three schools have been relocated to higher ground, receiving daily food provisions from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Red Cross, and local businesses. Floating bridges have also been installed at Kalimbeza and Masikili villages to improve accessibility for communities cut off by floods.