US embassy cable - 04LILONGWE667

S E C R E T LILONGWE 000667 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TERREP 
NOFORN 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA, LUSAKA PLEASE PASS TO 
ORCA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6 X1 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, Terrorism, Muslim Issues, Political 
SUBJECT: ALLEGED SUDANESE AL-QAIDA MEMBERS IN BLANTYRE 
 
Classified By: RSO Thomas A. Green 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A call-in on July 9, 2004 claimed that as 
of May five Sudanese al-Qaida members were located in a house 
in Blantyre.  He received this information thirdhand.  His 
source was contacted and stated the same thing.  The 
firsthand source could not be reached.  This information was 
passed to the Malawi Police Service (MPS) for follow-up. 
 
2. (SBU) On July 9, 2004 RSO contacted a Muusa KAUNDA, DPOB: 
20AUG69, Mzuzu, Malawi after he called the Embassy claiming 
to have information on terrorism.  KAUNDA's contact numbers 
are 01.634.478, 01.634.475 and 08.878.093.  He is employed at 
King's Print, BC 149, Lower Sclatter Road, Hyde Park Building 
in Blantyre.  He stated that he heard from an associate that 
there were Sudanese al-Qaida members living in a house in 
Blantyre as of May, 2004.  He stated he heard this from Esau 
KAMANGA. 
 
3. (SBU) RSO then contacted Esau KAMANGA, DPOB 08SEP58, 
Rutenburg, South Africa.  He stated he is a Malawian citizen 
by birth even though he was born in RSA.  KAMANGA works for 
the secretariat of the Peoples' Progressive Movement (PPM), a 
political party in Malawi.  KAMANGA was interviewed by telcon 
in Blantyre at 01.636.445 and later at 01.636.475 and stated 
that he heard about the Sudanese from a Mr. MAHANGO (FNU) who 
is/was a security guard at the residence where they are in 
hiding in Blantyre.  KAMANGA stated that the five Sudanese 
are in Malawi to recruit and plan for al-Qaida.  They are 
supposedly being financed by Indians.  He stated MAHANGO 
knows this because MAHANGO used to work for the intelligence 
section of the Malawi Communist Party and is a guard at the 
house.  KAMANGA said he first heard this information when he 
met MAHANGO during the national election in May.  When asked 
why he waited until now to contact the Embassy he said he 
wanted to make sure he was reporting the information to the 
right people. 
 
4. (SBU) Attempts to contact MAHANGO have been negative.  RSO 
was not provided with a telephone point of contact number for 
him, or even a definite address. 
 
5. (SBU) RSO has reported this matter to the Director of 
Criminal Investigation (DCI) for the MPS.  The DCI said he 
would help but expressed concern that his department tread 
very lightly due to the recent tensions over the QUOTE last 
time we had one of these END QUOTE.  (RSO COMMENT:  It is 
believed that the DCI was referring to the Malawi Five 
incident over which there is still lingering hostility on the 
part of some of the public.  END COMMENT.)  The DCI was asked 
to locate and interview MAHANGO, as well as follow-up with 
KAUNDA and KAMANGA to see what their intentions with 
providing this information are. 
 
6. (S/NF) This information has been passed to the regional 
ORCA office for records checks.  Post will report any 
information or results received via Septel. 
 
7. (SBU) RSO ASSESSMENT: This information does NOT/NOT appear 
to be credible.  KAMANGA and KAUNDA appear to believe that 
this MAHANGO is telling the truth.  However, the information 
is at best secondhand, and was most likely fabricated by this 
MAHANGO.  It is unlikely that al-Qaida cell members would be 
so casual about their identities.  During the telcons both 
KAMANGA and KAUNDA were very eager (and repeatedly asked) to 
have RSO come see them to take him to MAHANGO.  This raises 
concerns about possible ulterior motives for reporting the 
information.  KAMANGA also hesitated when asked for his 
mother's name, as if he had to think about it before he 
provided it (therefore probably lying to the RSO in the 
process).  Though it is possible that these Sudanese are/were 
in Blant