Cabo Delgado: Over 9,000 residents return to Mocímboa da Praia – AIM report

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Cabo Delgado: Over 9,000 residents return to Mocímboa da Praia – AIM report

12:45 CAT | 14 Sep 2022

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: DW]

Over 9,000 residents, who were forced to flee the town of Mocímboa da Praia, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, due to terrorist attacks, have returned to their homes, an official source has announced.

“People have returned to all villages,’ said João Saraiva, permanent secretary of Mocímboa da Praia district, cited by Radio Mozambique.

READ: Mozambique: At least 9,000 return to Mocímboa da Praia – government

Mocímboa da Praia was the district where armed groups carried out their first attack on 5 October 2017, and its main town was long described as the terrorists’ headquarters.

After more than a year in the hands of terrorists, the town was looted, with virtually all public and private infrastructure destroyed, including public utilities such as electricity and water, telecommunications and hospitals.

A military offensive launched by government forces in 2021, with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community forces, allowed the government to retake control, and there are now under way several initiatives to rebuild infrastructure.

For the district’s permanent secretary, the improvement in security situation in recent months has returned some tranquillity to the populations, who have also been collaborating with the local authorities.

“The populations are collaborating with the Government. They are denouncing and also handing over to the authorities some ordnance they find in their homes,” Saraiva added.

Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas but is battling with terrorist attacks since October 2017, with some attacks being claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

According to official estimates there are currently over 850,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, which also killed another 3,000 triggering a humanitarian crisis.

In September 2021, the government approved Cabo Delgado Reconstruction Plan, budgeted at 300 million US dollars. About 200 million dollars are earmarked for short term actions such as restoration of the public administration, electricity supply, telecommunications, water supply and sanitation, and rebuilding health units, schools and access roads.

Other priority actions include employment initiatives, particularly for young people.

Source: AIM