Mozambique: Firing in Palma near Total’s LNG project, population fleeing – Lusa

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Mozambique: Firing in Palma near Total’s LNG project, population fleeing – Lusa

6:58 CAT | 24 Mar 2021

File photo: Folha de Maputo

The town of Palma, in Cabo Delgado, was under gunfire on Wednesday afternoon and the population is fleeing, different sources who were in communication with the headquarters of the district that hosts the gas projects in northern Mozambique told Lusa.

Machine gunfire was heard in the town and the population is fleeing after reports of armed groups entering from two locations, on the south side that gives access to Mocímboa da Praia and in Palma neighbourhoods on the connection to Nhica do Rovuma.

According to one of the sources, the contacts stopped working shortly after the first phone calls reporting the situation, so few details are known.

The Mozambican defence and security forces (FDS) maintain a strong presence in Palma, the source added.

Another source in contact with Palma indicated that establishments are being robbed.

Another confirmed fleeing population and reported that helicopters are flying over the town.

The attack isn’t that simple though. All national special forces units are under alert according to military sources.
Again it’s said that GSF fled. Insurgents are reportedly using “new and heavy weapons”.

— Borges Nhamirre (@BorgesNhamirre) March 24, 2021

The instability in Palma comes on the day that the Mozambican government and oil company Total announced the gradual resumption of works in the Afungi industrial complex, adjacent to the town of Palma, after strengthening security conditions.

Armed violence in Cabo Delgado, home to Africa’s largest private multinational investment in natural gas exploration, is causing a humanitarian crisis with almost 700,000 displaced people and over 2,000 deaths.

Some of the incursions have been claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State between June 2019 and November 2020, but the origin of the attacks remains under debate.

Easy to see this as a response to Total’s announced resumption of work on Afungi, but, given the insurgents’ supply problems, it’s likely more closely related to the recent return of food aid to Palma. https://t.co/QIcndPtmQ9

— Sam Ratner (@samratner) March 24, 2021