Mozambique: Greater early-hour surveillance in Mocímboa da Praia – mayor

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Mozambique: Greater early-hour surveillance in Mocímboa da Praia – mayor

1:56 CAT | 23 Sep 2024

File photo: Lusa

The municipal authorities in Mocímboa da Praia are going to tighten security from midnight, with “restrictions” on traffic foreseen, in order to “maintain vigilance,” the local mayor announced on Sunday.

“It’s not really a curfew, because we circulate, it’s a restriction, a form of security so that we can maintain vigilance because of the situation we’ve had in past years,” Helena Bandeira, the mayor of the town of Mocímboa da Praia, told Mozambican public broadcaster.

The measure aims to curb “strange nocturnal movements” that worry the authorities in Mocímboa da Praia, explained the mayor.

“There are strange movements at night, and that worries us. Strange motorbikes and vehicles are driving around, especially in the early morning,” added Helena Bandeira.

Restricted nightlife in #Mocimboa

It is a precautionary measure to better control the strange movements of insurgents who may be hiding or infiltrated in the communities and, probably with the connivance, in some cases, of first-degree relatives & neighbors…. pic.twitter.com/FlUg3JVqJH

— Cabo Delgado (@DelgadoCabo) September 25, 2024

Since the beginning of August, there have been reports of intense clashes in the forests of the administrative post of Mucojo, Macomia district, almost 100 kilometres from Mocímboa da Praia, involving helicopters, armoured vehicles and heavily armed men, with references to shootings in places considered to be hiding places for these groups.

The coastal town, which is located in the district, was where armed groups carried out their first attack in October 2017. For a long time, the place was described as the rebels’ “base.”

After months in rebel hands, Mocímboa da Praia was looted and almost all public and private infrastructure was destroyed, as well as the power, water, communications and hospital systems.

After the first signs of security stabilisation in recent years, it was also one of the priority points for infrastructure recovery.

At the time, the authorities estimated that around 62,000 people had left the coastal town due to the conflict, particularly the mass flight that occurred after the intensification of rebel actions in June 2020.

Mocímboa da Praia is located 70 kilometres south of the construction area of the natural gas exploration project in Afungi, Palma, led by TotalEnergies.

Since October 2017, the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed rebellion with attacks claimed by movements associated with the extremist group Islamic State.

Generally, the insurgents transport themselves on motorcycles when they are going to perpetrate attacks.

Here, in #Mocímboa, there has been a lot of talk about strange movements or the excessive circulation of motorcycles with deafening noise at night.#tvm pic.twitter.com/vBFYZAPegh

— Cabo Delgado (@DelgadoCabo) September 25, 2024