Mozambique: Group that attacked port still in Mocímboa da Praia – Lusa

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Group that attacked port still in Mocímboa da Praia – Lusa

3:22 CAT | 27 Aug 2020

File photo: Lusa

The group of attackers that invaded the port of Mocímboa da Praia, in northern Mozambique, on 12 August, is still in the town, which is currently isolated sources of the armed forces of Mozambique told Lusa on Thursday.

“They have continued in Mocímboa da Praia since the assault on the port. Many of our forces had to retreat. For example, my unit, one of those in Mocímboa, retreated to Mueda [a little more than 100 kilometres from Mocímboa da Praia],” an army source who is in the theatre of operations in Cabo Delgado told Lusa by telephone.

The invasion of the Port of Mocímboa da Praia took place in the early hours of the 12th and the confrontations left an unknown number of dead, including members of the Maritime Force, according to the source.

“We had many casualties. I have noticed that there are efforts to get more reinforcements, but the situation is very serious and complicated because you can’t count on the port of Mocímboa da Praia”, he declared.

The attack on the port followed several others that the insurgents carried out between 5 and 12 August in the villages of Anga, Buji, Ausse and the largest village and, according to data from the Ministry of Defense on August 11, at least 59 “terrorists” died in response operations by government forces.

Several infrastructures have been vandalised, and communication lines are also down in Mocímboa da Praia at this time.

Another source from the Mozambican army in Maputo told Lusa that “it is clear that from Mocímboa da Praia, they will attack again.

“Their strategy is to attack and retreat for supplies. They also had several casualties in these last attacks. But we know they will attack again,” said the source, who is linked to the central department that records occurrences in the Mozambican army.

Last week the bishop of Pemba, Luiz Fernando Lisboa, said that the diocese of Pemba had been trying for days, without success, to contact two nuns who are in Mocímboa da Praia to help those affected by the armed violence.

“We still do not know about their situation and it has now been three weeks. We are in permanent contact with the Defense and Security Forces, but we still don’t have any information about them,” Father Latífo Fonseca Mateus of the diocese of Pemba told Lusa.

Mocímboa da Praia is one of the main villages in Cabo Delgado province, located 70 kilometres south of the construction area of the natural gas exploration project conducted by several international oil companies and led by Total.

The village had been invaded and occupied for a day by rebels on 23 March, in an action later claimed by the ‘jihadist’ Islamic State group, and was, on 27 and 28 June, the scene of long confrontations between government forces and insurgent groups.

The armed violence has caused the death of at least 1,059 people in almost three years, in addition to the destruction of various infrastructures in districts of Cabo Delgado.

According to the United Nations, the armed violence has led to the flight of 250,000 people from insecure districts further north in the province.

Source: Lusa