CIA in history

 

M23 claims that FARDC is using militia groups

 The administration

of the Rebel Movement of March 23 informs the public that despite the denunciation and condemnation by the Head of State His Excellency Félix Antoine TSHISEKEDI TSHILOMBO of the alliances maintained by the FARDC with the armed groups, new meetings have took place between the FARDC and the Armed Groups extended to the administrative authorities of Rutshuru territory and the first members of the Armed Groups trained by the FARDC were deployed on the front line this Wednesday, May 18. These are: 01. 60 combatants from the NYATURA-ABAZUNGU Armed Group trained at MPATI, dressed in FARDC uniforms, loaded into Government Army trucks in BURUNGU and taken to Rutshuru territory where they were deployed in BIRUMA; 02. FDLR combatants belonging to Col. RURINDA were dumped in a battalion of the 22nd Brigade led by Colonel MUSHENGEZI and in the 3411th regiment deployed in RUMANGABO led by Colonel OMARI AMURI Léonard and assisted by Colonel TOKOLONGA BENDET Salomon in charge of Operations and Intelligence. It is to this regiment that Major General CHIRIMWAMI entrusted the mission of recruiting the FDLR; 03. FDLR and MAI-MAI combatants recruited in particular in KIRAMA, KAUMIRO and KINYAMUYAGA in the locality of KIBIRIZI were mixed with FARDC units; 04. 120 combatants from the APCLS and NYATURA-DOMI armed groups were also sent to the front line and incorporated into the Government Army; 05. On May 16, 2022, Col. BALINGENE NYOMO Guillaume in charge of operations and intelligence of the 3408 RGT chairs a meeting with Lieutenant-Colonel HABYAKARE, FDLR commander of the CRAP unit (Commando Action and Protection) in BIRUMA in the presence of the Deputy Administrator of Rutshuru Territory, Commissioner DIMUNDU KIASI Blaise. 

When will iphone 14 be out?

 Judging by precedent, the iPhone 14 will launch on a Tuesday in September, and a leaker has now given us a good idea of which Tuesday we should mark in our calendars.

According to the Apple-focused site iDropNews, based on information from its own sources, the Apple September Event in 2022 will take place on September 13 - that's right in the middle of the month, basically when we expected it.

Take this date with a pinch of salt for now, because so far in advance, it's possible that this date is just a placeholder for Apple. The company could push the date for a variety of reasons if needs be - and the leaker might just be wrong. 

The leaker does say that Apple will host one event on the 13th, and it might not be the iPhone 14 launch - but since Apple tends to host its iPhone launches on Tuesdays in September, the timings line up.

The leaker has suggested lots of extra gadgets are coming besides the iPhone 14, though there's nothing mentioned that we haven't heard before. Apparently, there will be four iPhone 14s (the standard model is said to come alongside a Max, Pro and Pro Max version), the Apple Watch 8 alongside an 'Extreme Edition' for more outdoorsy pursuits, the more affordable Apple Watch SE 2, the AirPods Pro 2, and the new iPad (2022).

With all those new products, it's possible that the company will host two launch events like it did in 2020 - then, we saw new iPads and Apple Watches earlier than the year's iPhones. If this happened then September 13 would likely just be for the non-iPhone devices, following the way it happened in 2020, with the iPhone 14 family arriving later.

Since Apple generally announces its launch events a week before they happen, we'll likely have to wait until September 6 to see if something is happening on the 13th - though leakers might tell us what to expect first.

Security iPhone Malware Attackers can Install Malware on iPhone When it is Powered Off.

 

 

The iOS Find My feature has a safety loophole that can lead to infecting the iPhone even if the phone is off.

Academic researchers from the Secure Mobile Networking Lab (SEEMOO) at the Technical University of Darmstadt have identified a unique way of infecting an iPhone by loading malware while the phone is off.

Researchers will present their findings at the ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless Mobile Networks/ WiseSec 2022.

How does the Attack work?

The attack occurs after tampering with the iOS firmware and loading the malicious software onto a wireless Bluetooth chip with Near-field Communication and Ultra-Wideband. The attacker needs to execute the chip to infect the phone when it is off. The chip continues to operate when the system is off, and the Low Power Mode (LPM) is activated.

While the three wireless chips can facilitate Find My and Express Card transaction features, these can directly access the secure element. Basically, the ultra-wideband (UWB) (supported by iPhone 11, 12, and 13) and the Bluetooth chips are hardwired to the NFC chip’s Secure Element and can easily access confidential data.

“Since LPM support is implemented in hardware, it cannot be removed by changing software components. As a result, on modern iPhones, wireless chips can no longer be trusted to be turned off after shutdown,” researchers wrote in the paper titled “Evil Never Sleeps: When Wireless Malware Stays On After Turning Off iPhones.”

Researchers regarded the LPM feature as Opaque and highlighted that it sometimes fails to initialize Find My ads when the phone is off. Moreover, the Bluetooth firmware is not encrypted or signed.

An attacker can exploit this flaw to execute the malware on an iPhone Bluetooth chip. However, the adversary must possess privileged access. Furthermore, the attacker must communicate to the firmware via the OS, modify its image or obtain code execution on an LPM-activated chip by exploiting another flaw such as BrakTooth to exploit the loophole successfully.

What is LPM?

This feature was introduced in 2021 with iOS 15. It helps the user track lost devices using the Find My network and stays available even when the phone is out of battery power or is off. Before the phone shuts down, a message states the device will remain findable despite being off, and the Find My feature will locate it in case it is lost or stolen. The phone will be accessible when powered off or is in power reserve mode.

Facebook plans the year’s most extensive bulk data deletion, including wiping out users’ location histories.

  

Last year, Facebook decided to shut down its infamous facial recognition system and delete billions of records it collected over the years. Now, the social media giant will stop offering some of its location tracking features by the end of May 2022.

It is worth noting that the features that will be deleted include Time Alerts, Weather Alerts, Nearby Friends, Podcasts, Background Location, and Location History. 

Apparently, these services are being terminated due to ‘low usage’, and users of these services will receive a notification about their imminent shutdown.

Data to be Wiped Out before 31 May

These features will no longer be available from 31 May 2022, and the platform will also stop collecting data for these functions, The Verge has confirmed. The company claims that data associated with all these location tracking tools will be wiped out from its servers.

However, users can still access, delete, or download location data the social network saved prior to 1st August. For accessing the data, users should go to Settings>Privacy tab. All the data collected before this date for these soon-to-be-defunct features would be erased automatically.

Meta’s Statement

According to an email from Facebook owner Meta, the social network has been using poor location-based functions. Hence, they decided to stop offering such functions. The company notified users through in-app prompts and emails and didn’t make public announcements.

The notification received by Facebook users revealed that the social network would shut down features relying on background location tracking, including Nearby Friends, Podcasts, and Weather Alerts.

It is worth noting that Facebook Podcasts were launched just a year before. Yet, Facebook decided to discontinue them and develop additional services. The company will stop offering short-form audio products Soundbites and central audio hub.

This is welcome news for Facebook users. However, it doesn’t mean that Facebook will stop collecting users’ location data because, as per the company’s policy, it will collect the information for ‘other experiences,’ like location check-ins.

 

Bi-Weekly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists In 1st May- 15th May 2022

INCIDENT REPORT

Mozambique

• 1^st May- a bus ferrying passengers was attacked by militants outside Litingina, 10 km south of Chibau in Nangade. The militants open fired at the bus injuring 3 people.
• 1^st May- 1 person was killed and another injured after the same militants attacked Litingina town.
• 3^rd May- several people were beheaded after insurgents attacked Muhia village located 10 km north of Nangade town, near the Tanzanian border.
• 6^th May- Insurgents attacked Olumbe village, Palma where they threatened the residents to leave and looted food and other supplies.
• 7^th May- insurgents attacked 3 de Fevereiro, just east of Nangade town where they attempted to kidnap a woman and her child.
• 8^th May- insurgents struck the Rovuma village lowlands, capturing several people in fields around Nankuka, and the Nangade district.
• 9^th May- 3 Mozambican soldiers were killed and two others injured and their barracks were torched in Quiterajo in the Macomia district.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

• 06^th May- a Congolese military barrack in Lomi village, Beni was attacked, the soldiers fled and the militants razed it after seizing weapons and other supplies.
• 07^th May- 1 Christian was killed, several others injured, and 3 motorbikes burned by militants who attacked them with machine guns on the road linking Bolongo and Kasindi in the Beni region.
• 8^th May- ISCAP and a Congolese patrol clashed at Kikinji village in Beni where 3 soldiers were killed and the weapons and ammo seized.
• 9^th May- ISCAP ambushed a Christian convoy and razed 9 trucks and a passenger bus, on the Komanda – Mambasa Highway in Ituri.
• 10^th May- local militia allied to the Congolese troops was attacked in Mbonji, Ituri province by ISCAP where at least 13 members were killed and several others injured.
• 10^th May- 3 people were killed and at least 9 vehicles burned following an attack by ISCAP in Kundala Kundala village located between Komanda and Mambasa, Ituri province.
• 12^th May- a joint barracks for the Congolese-Ugandan forces were attacked with automatic weapons, which led to the killing of 1 dead and several wounded. The militants then seized machine guns, RPGs, and ammunition.

SOMALIA

• 02^nd May- 1 Somali police officer was killed and 5 others injured after a hand grenade was hurled at a patrol in the Dar As-Salaam neighborhood in Mogadishu.

NOTABLES

In Mozambique, SAMIM forces have reportedly failed to respond, even when insurgents came within 2 km of their positions, especially in Nangade where cases of kidnappings and beheadings have resurged. This apparent and continued lack of action has further undermined public confidence and trust in the SAMIM operation to protect civilians. The allied forces continue to be accused of not doing enough to fight the militants as they appear to have adopted a deterrence-oriented approach other than a full-blown attack tactic against ISCAP.

Intelligence further reveals that Rwandan troops who are usually responsible for Palma and Mocímboa da Praia districts have recently expanded their area of operation to intervene in Nangade to pursue the insurgents. The arrival was marked by a reported surrender of an unspecified number of militants from different backgrounds. The RDF also reportedly killed over 10 militants who were hiding in a local businessman’s house which has put further strain on the network of the insurgency that has been wreaking havoc in the areas in the last few weeks.

The Islamic State (ISIS-Central) claimed the attack citing that it was conducted by the ‘Wilayah Mozambiq’ making it the first time the ISCAP branch in Mozambique has been referred to as such since it swore its allegiance to ISIS.

President Museveni said Uganda is providing some logistical support to Mozambique to fight the insurgents but noted if need be, UPDF would be deployed. He however said that despite that he would only send the troops to Cabo Delgado upon the resolution of the conflicts already in East Africa, especially in Somalia and DR Congo.

In DRC, human rights organizations have started pressuring the government to end the siege that has installed military rule in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces as the civilians have been experiencing numerous injustices. The siege that has been in place since last year has failed to achieve its purpose and as such partners have urged the government to explore alternative ways to end the senseless killing of civilians by the ever-evolving ISCAP.

A three-day joint UPDF-Congolese CT campaign led to the recapture of Mwenda village which is a strategic, logistical, and habitat for a huge ISCAP encampment. The operation was led by the 1st Battalion of Mountain Division that had been advancing towards Mwenda and reports indicate that at least 35 ISCAP militants were neutralized in the operations. Mwenda has been the home base for the militants since the November bombardments and the entry of the UPDF in Beni and as such the recapture is a significant achievement in the fight against the jihadists. Mwenda had become a haven for the militants and has been used to launch numerous attacks in Beni, North Kivu province, especially in the Rwenzori sector.

 

At least 40 Islamic State Central Africa (ISCAP) insurgents surrendered to a military position and turned themselves in Namiune, Nangade District. Intelligence indicates that they approached a farmer in the area handing him a handwritten letter outlining their intentions to surrender after which they marched hands up and without weapons.

The militants in the region have been suffering major losses and the latest entry of the Rwandan forces ISCAP has been feeling the pressure as they continue suffer losses and operation incapability.

Bernardino Rafael, the General Commander of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in his most recent in Macomia extended amnesty and reintegration into society for any militants that surrendered. He urged the families and friends to persuade the jihadists to come in and they would be deradicalized without punishment and allowed to rejoin the community.

The amnesty offer has worked in other countries like Somalia where al Shabaab militants surrender their arms and are rehabilitated before being allowed back into society. The amnesty program has proven effective especially targeting youth that were either coerced, kidnapped or those that changed their stance after seeing the terror group’s activities.

The surrender is a very positive sign of the effectiveness of the current CT operations and will be instrumental in undermining both the recruitment of new members as well as morale of existing terrorists. Despite the various challenges, the allied troops (SAMIM-RDF-FADM) have been exerting pressure on the terror organization and such occurrences show progress is being made towards eradicating the militancy in Cabo Delgado.

 

Rising Al-Shabaab Attacks Prompts Pentagon’s Decision to Redeploy US Special Forces to Somalia

The rising Al-Shabaab attacks in Somalia has prompted Pentagon to make a decision to redeploy the US Special Forces back to the war-torn country.

In the recent weeks, Al-Shabaab has escalated coordinated attacks on military positions especially in central and southern Somalia, with a deadly operation being recorded on March 3^rd, for El Baraf in Middle Shabelle region where scores of ATMIS-Burundian troops were killed and base overrun by the Al-Qaeda aligned militants.

Last year, before leaving office, the former President Donald Trump signed an order authorizing the repositioning of the US troops and now the current US President Joe Biden has been convinced to reverse that decision, thus decision to reinstate troops to Somalia.

Latest reports indicate that on Monday 16^th, President Joe Biden authorized the deployment of the fewer than 500 troops to the East African country battling with rising extremist insurgency. The troops will establish a small presence in Somalia in an attempt to better target Al-Shabaab and its leaders and that of the group’s senior commanders/leaders.

Referencing Pentagon sources on condition of anonymity, the decision to redeploy the Special Forces was occasioned by the growing Al-Shabaab threat which could further destabilize the country. Throughout the elections period, the Al-Qaeda associate militant group has managed to wage deadly attacks, mainly targeting security forces, senior government officials and innocent civilians.

The newly elected President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud thanked and appreciates Biden for authorizing the deployment of American troops to Somalia underscoring that the US has always been a reliable ally in the fight against terrorism and quest for the stability of Somalia.

Galmudug police release names of Ahlu Sunna Wal'jamaa criminals

 Galmudug Police officials have released the names and photos of 36 highly wanted people identified by the Galmudug administration as criminals and are said to be members of the Sufist militia, Ahlu Sunna Wal’Jamaa. 

Among the 36 named people is the leader of Ahlu Sunna Wal’amaa (ASWJ) Sheikh Mohamed Shakir Ali Hassan, who alongside 35 followers have been accused of inciting violence in Dhusamareb and Guri’el, leading to the displacement of civilians.

Fighting erupted in Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state on Friday after the moderate militia attacked the town resulting in the killing of several people, including government soldiers. Calm was restored after Galmudug forces backed by SNA engaged the militants in an hours-long battle.

Galmudug police spokesman Nur Elmi has called on neighboring states and internal security agencies to help in nabbing the criminals who have wreaked havoc in the region. 

Galmudug has had its share of violence in the recent past, with Al-Shabaab on one side and  ASWJ on the other side, a situation which calls for the Galmudug administration and the Federal Government to act fast before the state is left at the mercy of the two menacing groups.

 

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, FARDC, supported by the Ugandan army UPDF, launched on Tuesday April 18, 2022 military bombing operations against certain positions of ADF fighters spotted in Mont Hoyo near the city of Komanda, capital of the Basili chiefdom in the territory of Irumu in the province of Ituri.

A salutary offensive for the inhabitants of the city of Komanda and the chiefdom of Walese Vonkutu in this territory of Irumu.

Indeed, these residents believe that it is a response to the promise given by the military governor of this province, Lieutenant General Johnny Luboya Kashama after a popular meeting held last year in Komanda.

Same story from the President of the Local Youth Council of the Irumu territory who is delighted with the start of these operations. He believes in the restoration of peace and security in this territory long shaken by these terrorists.