Saudi Company Linked to Al-Qaeda

(Lilongwe, Malawi) A deal for the country of Malawi to buy fertilizer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian company has been stopped because of a report that the company is linked to al-Qaeda.

From Reuters:

Malawi had planned to import more than 130,000 tonnes of fertiliser at a cost of $38 million through an unidentified Saudi company as part of a universal subsidy programme to help farmers grow food.

But Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe told parliament in the capital Lilongwe on Wednesday that the deal had been cancelled after the American bank involved in the transaction raised concerns that the company had links with al Qaeda.

"Malawi was dealing with a Saudi Arabian company and when we were about to pay through an American bank, Citibank, we were advised against that because they said that the company had al Qaeda links," Gondwe told parliament.

To the dismay of some members of parliament, Gondwe would not name the Saudi company nor a Ukrainian company alleged to also be involved in the deal. Unfortunately, CitiBank isn't revealing any information either. It's not clear why, but there must be some reason the companies can't be named. In my opinion, the blinding light of truth needs to be directed on all companies with terrorist links.

Malawi is one of the world's poorest nations, landlocked in southern Africa and bordered by Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Interestingly, only two years ago, five al-Qaeda suspects were deported from Malawi, providing anecdotal indication that terrorists appear to be expanding their influence into the nations of southern Africa.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.