Attacks: Bishop of Pemba denounces passivity of security forces

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Attacks: Bishop of Pemba denounces passivity of security forces

2:35 CAT | 27 Mar 2020

in file CoM

The bishop of Pemba, Luiz Fernando Lisboa, on Tuesday classified as “shameful” the situation in Cabo Delgado province, where armed groups this week occupied two locations in the face of the alleged passivity of the security forces.

On Monday and Tuesday, in less than 48 hours, armed groups in Cabo Delgado occupied the headquarters of the districts of Mocímboa da Praia and Quissanga.

According to reports, the attackers occupied the town of Mocímboa da Praia, a district headquarters with about 20,000 inhabitants, hoisted their flag and then left with food, weapons, vehicles and clothing seized from the Mozambican military.

“There was no strong reaction from the security forces, from the defence forces,” Luiz Fernando Lisboa says in a communication relayed by the Aid to the Church in Need (CAN) Foundation.

Cabo Delgado province has been the target of attacks by armed groups that international organisations classify as a terrorist threat and which in two-and-a-half years have caused at least 350 deaths, in addition to 156,400 people affected by loss of property or forced to abandon home and land in search of safe locations.

“Some were dressed in military uniforms. They said defence force reinforcements arrived only after they [the insurgents] had withdrawn. That is to say, no reinforcements arrived. They were not confronted,” the Catholic Church official added.

According to Luiz Fernando Lisboa, the attackers “came and went at the time of their choosing.” “This is shameful. What is happening is a real shame for Mozambique, that our population is being humiliated in this way,” he stressed.

The bishop underlined the fear generated in the population, adding that the group [of insurgents] said that they would return.

“The populations are afraid. If they attacked Mocimboa, the largest town in the region, Palma, Mueda and Macomia are all afraid. The people are scared. They were [afraid] before, but now it is worse,” he reiterated.

On the hoisting of the black flag associated with jihadist groups, Luiz Fernando Lisboa said that he was told the group had replaced the Mozambican flag with their own.

“I don’t know what flag it was […], but that they hoisted a flag, that they did,” he recounted.

Estátua de Eduardo Mondlane após ataque à vila da Mocimboa da Praia, já reivindicado pelo Estado Islâmico. Mondlane foi um dos fundadores e primeiro president da #FRELIMO, partido que os atacantes de #Quissanga declararam nao querer saber da sua bandeira. #CaboDelgado #Mocambique pic.twitter.com/zUzOhYux5v

— Alexandre (@AllexandreMZ) March 27, 2020

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed several attacks in Cabo Delgado province, even claiming to have killed Mozambican soldiers in clashes with government forces.

Individuals bearing the IS flag yesterday published on the Internet four photographs showing occupied buildings in the village of Quissanga, and the group claimed in a statement to have invaded Mocímboa da Praia on Monday.

The photographs show a group of up to 16 people, in military uniforms, bearing firearms and with their faces covered, posing at the district police command – which itself shows signs of having been set on fire – and at the local administration building in Quissanga.

“Caliphate soldiers attacked five Mozambican army and police positions in Mocimboa da Praia,” the jihadist group claimed in a statement, boasting dozens of dead and injured and showing weapons allegedly seized.

The Catholic Church says it is following with “natural concern” developments in Cabo Delgado, about which the Bishop of Tete, Diamantino Antunes, had already warned in February.

“In Cabo Delgado, the situation is not really calm,” he said at the time, denouncing attacks by groups “whose origin and motivation are not known” but which are “sowing panic among the population”.

The Bishop of Tete also said that “since the attacks first began, there have been about 500 deaths, and a large wave of people forced by lack of security to flee and take refuge in urban areas”.

Source: Lusa