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Police Charge 25-year-old Man with British Lawmaker's Murder

Passers-by view floral tributes to British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, placed outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, October 20, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Passers-by view floral tributes to British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, placed outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, October 20, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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Police Charge 25-year-old Man with British Lawmaker's Murder

Passers-by view floral tributes to British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, placed outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, October 20, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Passers-by view floral tributes to British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death during a meeting with constituents, placed outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, October 20, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville

British police charged a 25-year-old man with murder and preparing acts of terrorism Thursday in the stabbing of a Conservative lawmaker who was killed as he met constituents at a church hall last week.

Authorities say the man with Somali heritage, Ali Harbi Ali, has been charged in the death of David Amess.

“We will submit to the court that this murder has a terrorist connection, namely that it had both religious and ideological motivations,” said Nick Price of the Crown Prosecution Service. “He has also been charged with the preparation of terrorist acts."

The death of Amess, who had served in Parliament for almost 40 years and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, escalated concerns about security among Britain's politicians, who pride themselves on being accessible to their constituents.

A special session of the House of Commons on Monday resounded with appeals to force social media giants to do more to prevent the spread of online hate that has poisoned political discourse.

The slaying at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, northeast of London, came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist.

Cox was the first British lawmaker to be killed since a peace accord ended large-scale Northern Ireland violence almost 30 years earlier.

Amess, 69, was a social conservative who opposed abortion, campaigned for animal rights and strongly supported Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, said the force “will continue to build our case.” He said detectives had analyzed computers, searched several London addresses and reviewed CCTV footage as part of the investigation.

“It remains the case that no other arrests have been made and at this time we are not seeking anybody else in relation to this incident,” he said.

Amess's family said he was a patriot and a man of peace.

"So, we ask people to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all. This is the only way forward. Set aside hatred and work towards togetherness," they said in a statement.

On Wednesday, British interior minister Priti Patel said the terrorism threat level to lawmakers was now deemed substantial, which means an attack is considered likely.

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3 South African Peacekeepers Killed Fighting Rebels in Eastern Congo

A UN armored personnel carrier burns during clashes with M23 rebels outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP)
A UN armored personnel carrier burns during clashes with M23 rebels outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP)
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3 South African Peacekeepers Killed Fighting Rebels in Eastern Congo

A UN armored personnel carrier burns during clashes with M23 rebels outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP)
A UN armored personnel carrier burns during clashes with M23 rebels outside Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP)

Three UN peacekeepers from South Africa have been killed in fighting M23 rebels in eastern Congo, a political party and a trade union said Saturday.

The peacekeepers were killed on Thursday. M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.

The United Nations said that it would temporarily relocate nonessential staff from Goma, such as administrative staff.

"Essential personnel remain on the ground, sustaining critical operations such as food distribution, medical assistance, shelter, and protection for vulnerable communities," the UN statement read.

The African Union on Saturday urged the "immediate cessation" of the deadly fighting in eastern Democratic Republic Congo.

The African Union Commission's chair Moussa Faki Mahamat called for "the immediate cessation of all hostilities" and "strongly urges the parties to preserve the lives of civilians", the body said in a statement.

The M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, along the border with Rwanda, in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

On Thursday, M23 took control of the town of Sake, which is only 27 kilometers (16 miles) west of Goma and one of the last main routes into the provincial capital still under government control, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

South Africa’s second-biggest party, Democratic Alliance, and a trade union for members of the armed forces said Saturday that three South African peacekeepers were killed during the clashes with M23 in Sake.

"In addition, at least 18 South African National Defense Forces soldiers were wounded in the ongoing battles with M23 rebels in their new offensive which coincided with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump," the statement from the Democratic alliance read.

The US has previously played a key role in attempting to protect civilians in eastern Congo, making several high-level statements and visits, said Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International USA.

"The Rwandan-backed M23 is clearly exploiting the presidential transition in the US to advance on Goma — putting thousands more civilians at risk," Hixon told The Associated Press.

South Africa’s defense minister, Angie Motshekga, was visiting the country’s troops stationed in Congo as part of the UN peacekeeping mission on the day the soldiers were killed.

Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago.

Rwanda’s government denies the claim, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. UN experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Last year, two South African soldiers were killed by a mortar round explosion in eastern Congo. They were part of a mission by the Southern African Development Community, also known as SADC, which helps Congo’s army to fight against the rebels.

Since 2021, Congo’s government and allied forces, including SADC and UN troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma.

The UN peacekeeping force, also known as MONUSCO, entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.