Mozambique: Insurgents kill 12 and burn Frelimo headquarters in Mbau, Cabo Delgado – By Joseph Hanlon

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Mozambique: Insurgents kill 12 and burn Frelimo headquarters in Mbau, Cabo Delgado – By Joseph Hanlon

8:48 CAT | 24 Sep 2019

The first attack yesterday occurred in the village of Limala, Mengueleua, Muidumbe district.

Insurgents carried out two attacks yesterday (September 23) in Mocimboa da Praia and Muidumbe districts in Cabo Delgado. Mocimboa’s attack took place at the Mbau Administrative Post, 83 km from the district town of Mocimboa da Praia, starting at 6 pm and continuing until 1 am. Ten people died in the attack. Half of the village houses plus Frelimo’s local headquarters were set on fire. In the town, forces from the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) tried to repel the attack, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for several hours.

This morning, local people went looking for transport to leave Mbau for safer parts of Cabo Delgado, our correspondents report.

Mbau Administrative Post Chief Adriano Ahmed had also taken refuge in the woods because of the attack. He said that when the guerrillas entered the town, the insurgents found many young men drinking alcohol. “Many died on the spot,” said Ahmed.

The insurgents also broke into market stalls and “seized goods. Then they set fire to the stalls and left the town with a vehicle full of goods,” he added

Mbau town has 5588 voters registered in 10 polling stations.

This was the second attack yesterday. The first occurred in the village of Limala, Mengueleua, Muidumbe district. Insurgents surprised two men between the ages of 28 and 30 when they were in their fields; they were beheaded around 10 am yesterday.

These are the seventh and eighth insurgent attacks on Cabo Delgado since the start of the election campaign.

Historic note: Wednesday 25 September is Armed Forces Day and commemorates the first shot of the independence struggle on 25 September 1964, in Chai, Cabo Delgado. Chai is in Macomia district, one of the hot spots of the new insurgency. General Alberto Chipande who fired the first shot, remains a very powerful figure in Cabo Delgado.

By Joseph Hanlon

Source: 2019 General Elections - Mozambique Political Process Bulletin