Mozambique: At least two Naparamas killed in Angoche – AIM report

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Mozambique: At least two Naparamas killed in Angoche – AIM report

12:39 CAT | 14 Jul 2025

Photo: Angoche Media

The Mozambican police killed at least two members of the peasant militia, known as the Naparamas, in clashes that took place on Friday in Angoche district, in the northern province of Nampula.

According to Monday’s issue of the independent newsheet “Carta de Moçambique”, citing a police officer named Silvério Salazar, during the clashes, which took place on the island of Malipone, the Naparamas killed one police officer.

Salazar explained the police operation was launched with the aim of dismantling the group that was intimidating local residents and disrespecting the authorities, after killing a citizen in recent weeks.

Recently, the police killed a further seven members of the Naparama group in the Aube region, during an alleged attempt to invade local administrative infrastructures.

The Naparamas first came to prominence in the late 1980s, during the war of destabilisation, when they were defending peasant communities in Nampula and the neighbouring province of Zambezia against the then rebel movement Renamo. At that time, they were in an informal alliance with the Mozambican Armed Forces (FAM/FPLM).

After the 1992 peace agreement between the government and Renamo, little more was heard of the Naparamas until recently. But they have suddenly reappeared and are posing a real threat to Mozambican state bodies.

The Naparamas use magical rituals, which they claim make them invulnerable to bullets (even though their first leader, Manuel Antonio, died in a hail of Renamo bullets in 1990).

Source: AIM