At least six people have been killed since Saturday in a new wave of armed attacks in northern Mozambique and fighting continues, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced on Wednesday.
Six citizens were beheaded, three kidnapped and dozens of houses burned down,” he said in the city of Xai-Xai, during the speech alluding to Victory Day, a holiday that is commemorated this Wednesday and celebrates the country’s independence agreements.
Filipe Nyusi confirmed the reports made by the population and the local authorities since Saturday about attacks in the districts of Ancuabe and Chiúrein the province of Cabo Delgado, and district of eratialready in the province of Nampula.
The head of state also confirmed “fights” during the last night (Tuesday) in Chipende, Memba district, without further details.
A source from the Comboni Sisters congregation in Italy announced this Wednesday that a Italian nun was murdered during an attack on the Catholic mission in Chipende, in the extreme north of the area that is part of the diocese of Nacala.
It is an area near the Lúrio River, a natural border between the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.
According to Filipe Nyusi, the A new wave of violence occurs after the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces (FDS) seized a terrorist base in the district of Ancuabe.
It was the base where the armed groups “had taken refuge after being displaced from towns and villages” that are now in the hands of government forces, he said in Wednesday’s speech.
After taking the base, the rebels will have dispersed into smaller groups, of five and 15 members, towards areas south of the Montepuez and Lúrio rivers, where they “try to recruit” new members.
“They are being followed” and “they are nervous”he added, noting that they therefore leave a trail of destruction and deaths.
Filipe Nyusi stressed that there are ongoing combats and other operations by the SDF and announced the handover of more than 40 suspects of involvement in armed violence in Palma, Mocímboa da Praia and Pemba.
In this batch there are people who surrendered, being “protected and collaborating.”
At any time they may be returned to their “origin” communities, to the coexistence of their respective families, he added.
The head of state also highlighted the arrest of a recruiter in Mogincualcoastal district of Nampula province, which already had a group of 16 young people “prepared to join the ranks” of the insurgency.
Some Points in the extreme north of the province of Nampula, together with Cabo Delgado, are the scene of instability due to the presence of armed groups.
Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas but has been terrorized since 2017 by armed violence, with some attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.
The insurgency led a year ago to a military response by Rwandan forces and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts close to gas projects, but provoking a new wave of attacks in other areas, closer to Pemba, provincial capital.
There are around of 800 thousand displaced internal deaths from the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and some 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.
Source: Observadora
