Mozambique: Gang reportedly attacked another village in Nampula province on Sunday night – Lusa

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Mozambique: Gang reportedly attacked another village in Nampula province on Sunday night – Lusa

12:31 CAT | 07 Sep 2022

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

The administrator of Memba district in Mozambique’s Nampula province told Lusa on Tuesday that the same armed groups terrorising Cabo Delgado are suspected of attacking another village in the province on Sunday night.

According to Juma Cadria, the same group that invaded the village of Kútua on Friday, in the far north of Nampula province, is suspected of having attacked the village of Minhanha, in Memba at 10 pm on Sunday, as “they are neighbouring villages”.

“We are guessing that this incursion was an attempt to disperse the population” for the attackers “to steal food, besides also dispersing the defence and security forces that are in the region,” Juma Cadria said.

According to Cadria, the group burnt homes and stole goods from the inhabitants, who fled to nearby areas, leaving the village of Minhanha “empty”.

The authorities believe that these are armed groups fleeing Cabo Delgado to neighbouring Nampula province to recruit more people to “swell their ranks”.

“In Cabo Delgado, they are being harassed, they are in a fragile situation, so they are trying to recruit more people, but this is not easy because on this side there is also pressure,” stressed the administrator of Memba.

Also read: Mozambique: ‘Multiplying’ numbers fleeing village targeted by armed men – Lusa report

This is the second time that neighbouring provinces of Cabo Delgado (north of the country) are the target of attacks similar to those that have taken place there – and where it is also unclear who is responsible for the violence.

In December 2021, there was the same suspicion regarding attacks in areas of Niassa province bordering Cabo Delgado.

Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas but has been terrorised since 2017 by armed violence, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency has led to a military response since a year ago by forces from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects but leading to a new wave of attacks in other areas, closer to Pemba, the provincial capital.

There are about 800,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and about 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

It is estimated that half of the affected population are children and young people up to the age of 20, reflecting the country’s age pyramid.

Mozambique
“Everyone” decided to pack what they could and head to neighboring villages and the district headquarters to seek safety following insurgent attacks https://t.co/15xsQxQyx4 https://t.co/Db9fy4cya4

— Jasmine Opperman (@Jasminechic00) September 6, 2022