Terrorists continue to raid Cabo Delgado villages in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

As leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) prepare to hold an extraordinary summit on Friday, to discuss the fight against terrorism in Mozambique, jihadist groups have continued to launch attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

According to a report in Thursday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, there have been around ten attacks in three Cabo Delgado districts since New Year’s Day.

On 1 January itself, terrorists attacked the Nova Zambezia village in Macomia district, where they murdered four people. Two of them are said to be relatives of the district administrator, Tomas Badae.

The following day the villages of Imbada and Nogororo, in Meluco district, came under attack. Houses were set on fire but there are no reports of any casualties, perhaps because the villagers fled into the bush to escape the raiders.

Also on Sunday, some of the population of Litingina village, in Nangade district, fled from their homes, when it was confirmed that a group of nine terrorists had been seen in the vicinity. The following day it was confirmed that this group had indeed passed through the village. It was believed that they were on their way to the neighbouring province of Niassa, or perhaps to the border with Tanzania.

On Tuesday, jihadists attacked Mariria and Mugide villages, burning down houses, though again no casualties were reported. Later the same day another attack was reported against the Vida Nova village in Macomia, and again it seems there were no casualties.

The terrorists also struck at Mueda district on Tuesday afternoon, with an attack on Havara village, in the Negomano administrative post, near the border with Tanzania.

Most of these attacks, “Mediafax” notes, were carried out by small groups of no more than ten terrorists. Not all the attackers were bearing firearms – some were carrying machetes and similar weapons.

Such small-scale raids show that, although the main jihadist bases in Cabo Delgado have been dismantled, the terrorists still pose a threat to the lives and livelihoods of local people,

The SADC summit must decide the future of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), which has been fighting alongside the Mozambican defence and security forces, and members of the Rwandan armed forces against the islamists.