Mozambique: Insurgent push in Cabo Delgado – By Joseph Hanlon

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Mozambique: Insurgent push in Cabo Delgado – By Joseph Hanlon

2:54 CAT | 09 Apr 2020

Insurgents made a major attack in Muidumbe district, Cabo Delgado this week. They also reoccupied Bilibiza on Monday (6 April), and at a meeting told local people that Islamic practices would now be followed. On the same day they occupied Miangalewa on the N380 road in Muidumbe, and stayed the whole day. The N380 is the only paved road from Pemba to Palma and Mocimboa da Praia and has been reopened to light trucks.

On Tuesday insurgents moved from Miangalewa up the N381 road toward Mueda, occupying Xatia, Namacande (district town of Muidumbe), Ntchinga, and Muatade villages.

The occupation of Ntchinga was particularly provocative because this has been a Frelimo base in the liberation war; it is still a military base, and it is claimed the soldiers fled. The insurgents have been criticised by President Filipe Nyusi of being “faceless” and not stating their goals. And they used their occupation of Ntchinga to record a second video to respond. At a public meeting, and speaking in the local language, kimwani, they said: “We are occupying this village to show that the government of the day is unfair. It humiliates the poor to the advantage of bosses. Those who are detained are those of the lower class, so this is not fair. Like it or not, we are defending Islam. We want an Islamist government, not a government of unbelievers. We are children of here and these faces are not new. And in the forest, we are many.” (Carta de Mocambique 8 Apr)

In the district town, Namacande, insurgents first attacked the security force base and the police post and captured weapons, then attacked public institutions and shops, notably the district government office, Millennium Bim bank, and the local petrol station.

In Miangalewa they burned the Catholic church, shops, the workshop of the security firm Arkje, and kidnapped some people; one report says 6 people were killed. They attacked the military camp guarding the Japanese firm Konoike repairing the N380 bridge over the Messalo river. The soldiers fled and all vehicles and machinery at the construction camp were destroyed. In Muatade the secondary school, health post, houses and other infrastructure were burned. (@emorier, LUSA 7 Apr, CDD 8 Apr)

Low flying South African registered helicopters with machine guns and white crew, apparently the Russian Wagner mercenaries, were photographed Tuesday and Wednesday flying up the coast and there are reports of fighting in Muidumbe.

Newsletter in pdf with detailed maps HERE

By Joseph Hanlon

O Estado Islámico (#Daesh) acaba de publicar um video do ataque contra #Muidumbe #CaboDelgado. So se vê homens armados a passear e ir para o banco. Não há audio. #Mozambique Mozambique #ISCAP pic.twitter.com/GbepxAHzye

— Eric Morier-Genoud (@emorier) April 8, 2020

There is movement on the #PMC / #mercenary front in #CaboDelgado #Mozambique. Helicopters have been see flying and Eben Barlow denies rumors that his company is involved – image of Gazelle 341B AH1 is from @news_pinnacle pic.twitter.com/oWSyYyX8ly

— Eric Morier-Genoud (@emorier) April 9, 2020