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The aftermath of the attacks in one of the villages in Cabo Delgado (Jornal Notícias)
Strength of will and determination are among the strengths shown by those determined to recover from the murderous attacks of the armed groups sowing panic in Cabo Delgado.
In the villages of Naunde, in Macomia, where seven people were killed and 164 houses burned, and in Namaluco, Quissanga, where five were killed and 204 houses burned, Minister of the Interior, Jaime Basílio Monteiro held public meetings to evaluate and redefine strategies to combat the terrorists.
Anxious to see the situation resolved, the population is cooperating with the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and creating self-defense networks, denouncing the murders and all those who collaborate in them, since there is evidence of people within the community providing information about the location of villages.
Some by their own means, others with the help of the government, and others still with the support of the Cabo Delgado business community are already rebuilding their homes. The military is also playing a key role in supporting reconstruction, in the woods cutting wood with residents and helping to look for building materials.
For fear of new attacks, some villagers left, prompting Minister Monteiro to urge them to return once security is guaranteed by the presence of the FDS. Many people walked long distances on foot in search of safety, but the minister has urged them to return, since their safety is now assured.
For the governor, the attacks, mainly in Macomia and Quissanga, represent retaliation on those who refused to join in their criminal actions. This because, according to Monteiro, when they arrived they call out to victims by their own names in order to persuade them to open their doors.
Mariano Abel, head of the Naunde post, where seven people were killed and 164 houses burned, said that while progress is being made in the process of rebuilding the houses, the victims are staying in the homes of neighbours or relatives.
“When they arrived they shouted, pretending to be thieves so that people would leave their homes. Some called to them using their own names, as was the case with the first victim. Then they burned all the thatched houses,” he said.
The local population complains that they are losing their crops in the fields as a result of the disruption, and fear that this situation could lead to hunger. In response, the FDS has guaranteed to provide protection so that they can harvest crops.
“We are determined to catch and hold all the killers accountable. Likewise, we will strengthen our vigilance to neutralize all those who collaborate with the murderers,” Monteiro promised. “What encourages us is that there is a pre-disposition to collaborate with the FDS to help guide our forces in the woods, with a view to finding and neutralizing this group.”
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