Insurgents Terrorise Central Districts of Cabo Delgado

- Villages in Muidumbe, Macomia, Meluco, and southern Mocímboa da Praia have been the main targets of jihadist incursions in recent days

- Government troops, lacking resources, and Rwandan forces concentrated in gas exploration districts leave the defence of the population in the hands of local militias

By Noémia Mendes

Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Insurgents have intensified attacks in recent days on villages in the central region of Cabo Delgado province, generating panic and a new wave of internally displaced persons.

Over the past 10 days, multiple attacks have been recorded, resulting in killings, abductions, food theft, and the burning of homes. The most recent and intense confrontation was reported on Saturday, 8 February, in the Sofala neighbourhood, in the administrative post of Chai, north of the Macomia district headquarters.

This was one of the few villages still inhabited in that region and, according to local sources, insurgents attacked it at around 17.00, looting residents’ belongings without any opposition from government and Rwandan troops, who were deployed to combat the insurgency.

Government forces are facing a chronic lack of combat resources, which has led to the suspension of military escorts along National Road 380, particularly in the critical section between Macomia district headquarters and the Awasse crossroads in Mocímboa da Praia district.

Rwandan troops were deployed to help fight the insurgency in Macomia district, replacing SADC troops, who withdrew in the middle of last year. However, in practical terms, the Rwandans have focused primarily on the districts of Mocímboa da Praia and Palma, where multinational companies are developing multi-billion-dollar natural gas exploration projects, as well as in the districts of Ancuabe and Montepuez, where the ruby mining industry, also generating hundreds of millions of dollars, is located.

Thus, the security of the populations in the central districts of Cabo Delgado has been left to the Local Force militias, created with government support, although with very limited combat capacity.

In the recent attack on the village of Sofala, members of the Local Force responded, reportedly killing four members of the attacking group, according to a local source.

Local sources believe that the insurgent group that attacked this village moved freely for about a week, without meeting any serious opposition from government troops and their Rwandan allies.

Records of the attacks indicate that on Sunday, 2 February, insurgents attacked the village of Mitope, in southwestern Mocímboa da Praia. In this attack, jihadists affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist organisation looted weapons and ammunition and set fire to military camps. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State.

On the same Sunday, 2 February, insurgents attacked the Fifth Congress village, in the north of Macomia district, abducting women and girls.

With no response from the Defence and Security Forces, the group continued their incursions in the region and, on Thursday, 6 February, attacked the village of Litandacua, in Macomia, looting food supplies from homes and small shops owned by local traders.

The first opposition the insurgent group faced was in Sofala village, where the previously mentioned four fatalities were inflicted by the Local Force.

However, the insurgents continued their operations and, on Monday, 10 February, they raided the village of Ravia at around 17.00. Less than a week earlier, the group had attacked the same village and beheaded artisanal gold miners.

In this latest attack, the jihadists sabotaged the mobile phone network infrastructure, cutting off communication with the Meluco district headquarters, making it difficult to gather accurate data on the attack.

As a result of the recent attacks, dozens of families who had returned to villages in the Chai administrative post fled to Macomia town.

"Many families abandoned their villages and travelled on foot, by motorbike, bicycle, and even by car to Macomia, where they find a relatively safe environment," said human rights activist Abudo Gafuro, a resident of Cabo Delgado, in an interview.

"Several families opted to remove their children from the villages in search of safer shelter in Macomia. However, fear persists, as the villages continue to be frequent targets of attacks and invasions," he explained. (NM)

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