Mozambique: Foreign workers, residents flee attack on Palma – witnesses

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Mozambique: Foreign workers, residents flee attack on Palma – witnesses

1:55 CAT | 25 Mar 2021

File photo: Pinnacle News

Workers of different nationalities linked to works in the Palma region, where gas projects in northern Mozambique are taking place, fled along with residents after armed groups attacked the district headquarters, according to witnesses.

The town hosts several companies and personnel due to the investments underway there.

The number of workers affected and nationalities is uncertain, but some sources reported the situation to Lusa.

A Mozambican employee of a company fled into the bush with two foreign workers from another firm after armed groups began attacking Palma on Wednesday afternoon, a company official told Lusa.

The same official said he has not received any more information from them since then, as mobile communications have stopped working, and it is only possible to exchange sporadic messages with some people at some points.

In one of those messages, another worker reported a pause in the shooting and said he hoped that Total oil company would be able to rescue them.

Despite attempts, Lusa has not yet managed to obtain information from the oil company that leads the construction project in Afungi, about seven kilometres from Palma.

According to people on the spot, the investment compound was not affected – an area of several hectares that includes an airfield, temporary modular constructions, a resettlement village, besides different building sites.

Another source told Lusa that many people are taking refuge in a hotel next to the airfield in the village.

According to him, at the beginning of the attack, on Wednesday, a group targeted the road connecting Palma to the construction site of the gas projects, while another group infiltrated the village.

Gunfire continued to be heard during this morning in and around the district headquarters and military helicopters are flying over the area.

The violence in Palma, which had hitherto been spared three and a half years of armed insurgency, comes a year after two attacks triggered the largest wave of displaced people in the conflict.

Between 22 and 25 March 2020, armed groups occupied for more than 24 hours the district headquarters villages of Mocímboa da Praia and then Quissanga – in the latter, an alleged ‘jihadist’ militant, with his face covered and under the banner of the extremist group Islamic State, published a video announcing the goal of imposing Islamic law in Mozambique.

Until then there were 156,400 displaced because of the conflict, while today there are nearly 700,000, four times as many.

Some of the incursions were claimed by IS between June 2019 and November 2020, but the origin of the attacks remains under debate.

Mozambique’s Ministry of Defence confirmed today, in a no-questions-asked press statement, the armed attack on Palma attributing it to “terrorists”.

“The defence and security forces are pursuing the enemy’s movement and are working tirelessly to restore security and order with the greatest speed,” said Colonel Omar Saranga, spokesman for the Mozambican Ministry of Defence.

The Defence Ministry calls on the population to “remain vigilant and serene as they seek safe spaces”, asking for collaboration with the authorities, “to denounce terrorists and armed men”.

“On March 24, 2021, at approximately 4:15 pm, terrorists attacked Vila de Palma in three directions (…) forcing the residents to leave the village and take refuge in the forest. So far there is no information on human victims and damage caused” the Ministry of Defense spox said

— Borges Nhamirre (@BorgesNhamirre) March 25, 2021