Mozambique / Attacks: 19 arrested in Palma on suspicion of belonging to armed groups in Cabo Delgado – report

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Mozambique / Attacks: 19 arrested in Palma on suspicion of belonging to armed groups in Cabo Delgado – report

12:21 CAT | 23 Jun 2020

Photo: TVM

Authorities in Mozambique have arrested 19 people in Palma, Cabo Delgado province, last week, on suspicion of belonging to groups that have been carrying out armed attacks in northern Mozambique, an official source told Lusa on Monday.

The 19 individuals were travelling on two buses and, when questioned by the authorities, claimed that they were leaving Mocímboa da Praia for Palma to fish, which raised suspicions, spokesman for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Cabo Delgado, Augusto Guta, said.

“The argument made no sense, given that Mocimboa da Praia has better conditions for fishing,” said Augusto Guta, noting that the authorities have on other occasions detained suspects making the same claim.

“We are paying attention,” the PRM spokesman said, stressing that the authorities have stepped up enforcement across the province to prevent incursions by armed groups.

On June 4, 35 people who survived the sinking of a vessel off Pemba, the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado, were detained pending enquiries into the contradictory versions presented regarding their origin and destination.

“The case of the shipwreck survivors has already been referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” Augusto Guta said, without giving further details.

For two-and-a-half years, Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado, scene of Africa’s largest-ever private investment (in natural gas extraction), has been the target of attacks by armed groups that international organisations classify as a terrorist threat.

It is estimated that at least 600 people have died in the province, and more than 200,000 have been displaced in the search for safety.

Source: Lusa