- All victims were of Maconde ethnicity, echoing recent attacks in Mocímboa da Praia
- Mozambican and Rwandan security forces failed to stop the assailants
By MOZTIMES
Pemba (MOZTIMES) – Four men were shot dead on Sunday night (28) in Nanga A neighbourhood, Macomia district headquarters, Cabo Delgado province. The victims, all Maconde and displaced from Nguida village, had sought refuge in Macomia after fleeing earlier fighting.
Local sources said the attack happened around 9 p.m., when gunmen opened fire as the men slept. No group has claimed responsibility, but residents suspect insurgents active in Cabo Delgado since 2017. The assault resembled recent killings in Filipe Nyusi neighbourhood, Mocímboa da Praia.
One of the dead was a trader known as Chibaba. Like the others, he was Maconde and originally from Nguida.
“At about 9 p.m. we heard gunfire. Then silence, followed by the movement of armoured vehicles. At dawn we found four bodies,” a resident told MOZTIMES. “I saw the four corpses myself. I believe Al-Shabaab killed them,” he added.
Despite a heavy deployment of Mozambican and Rwandan forces in Macomia, troops did not intervene in time to repel the attackers.
“We have Rwandan forces here, our own troops and the local militia. Many shots were fired, but there was no response,” another resident said.
The assailants also raided the victims’ homes, looting basic goods from two shops.
Panic spread through the village, with dozens fleeing into the bush overnight. They returned home only at dawn.
This is not the first time armed men have slipped through security and struck Macomia. Like Mocímboa da Praia, it has been repeatedly targeted. The apparent focus on Maconde households underscores a perceived ethnic dimension to the insurgency.
The violence comes as Cabo Delgado awaits the possible resumption of TotalEnergies’ gas project, suspended since April 2021 amid escalating attacks by the local insurgent groups backed by the Islamic State. (MT)
