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Mozambique Islamist insurgency intensifies
[DW] Suspected jihadists have attacked military barracks and surrounded a northern Mozambican town, hoisting their flag close to a major gas exploration site being developed by ExxonMobil and Total.A pre-dawn attack in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado on Monday caught the attention of analysts for being more daring than previous assaults. Islamist Lions of Islam reportedly arrived by both sea and land and occupied the district of Mociboa da Praia. The group attacked a defense forces barracks, over which they hoisted their black flag, according to police front man, Orlando Modumane. The group raided the local cop shoppe and set prisoners free. It also burned houses and destroyed a school. Dozens of people fled to the local hospital and mosques. The Lions of Islam built barricades on the main roads leading to the town. They controlled the municipality's airbase, the port and the cop shoppes for most of the day. Military sources accused them of taking weapons and vehicles. Dozens of people were maimed during Monday's attack, said General Commander Bernardino Rafael from Mozambique's police. Online journal Moz24 reported that a child, a woman and a man were killed during the incident. The Lions of Islam faced no resistance, according to the report. However, women are made to be loved, not understood... Rafael claimed that coppers fought "with the evildoers in the town" and advised locals "to keep calm and be vigilant, because the Lions of Islam may want to mix with the population and do harm."
Mocimboa da Praia is about 350 km (220 miles) from the city of Pemba in Mozambique's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado and is just south of the Afungi peninsula ‐ where billion-dollar gas projects are being developed by Exxon Mobil and Total. The town was until recently the main airport for workers travelling to the site, before a landing strip was built at Afungi. The peninsula's port is also used for cargo deliveries for the projects. The district central area was first occupied by the jihadist Lions of Islam in October 2017. Police commander Bernardino Rafael last week told news hounds that everything was in control. For political analyst Alexandre Chiure, however, the situation in the province is quite alarming. "With each day that passes, things get more and more complicated," Chiure told DW. "Cabo Delgado has 16 districts and the information we have is that nine of those districts are already affected by these attacks. It's a situation that the solution is not in sight." THE CULMINATION OF A TRAGIC FAILURE Alexandre Chiure underscored President Filipe Nyusi's personal commitment to finding a solution. Nyusi showed willingness to engage in dialogue with the Death Eaters. The analyst said, however, that the attackers were getting more daring. "Before, the Lions of Islam attacked remote villages, but this time they got bolder and attacked the [main] village of Mocimboa da Praia," he explained. Little is known about the group, which has killed more than 300 people and caused hundreds of thousands to flee their villages in Cabo Delgado. Related: Mozambique: 2020-02-09 Islamist insurgency in Mozambique escalates attacks, beheadings reported Mozambique: 2019-11-29 Mozambique Urges End to ‘Black Magic' Murder, Rape, Dismemberment of Albinos Mozambique: 2019-11-26 Next in Line to Lead al-Qa`ida: A Profile of Abu Muhammad al-Masri Related: Cabo Delgado: 2020-02-09 Islamist insurgency in Mozambique escalates attacks, beheadings reported Cabo Delgado: 2019-11-11 ISIS claims capture of a town in Mozambique! Cabo Delgado: 2019-07-07 Seven Killed in Mozambique Jihadist Attack Claimed by IS Posted by: trailing wife 2020-03-26 |
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