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FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]
The president of the Cabo Delgado Business Council said on Sunday that a group of terrorists intercepted a businessman in the northern province of Mozambique, forcing him to pay to continue his journey.
“One of our businessmen was transporting his goods to Quissanga. Due to the condition of the road, the truck got stuck, and he asked in the district for help. Help came, but unfortunately, along the stretch to Quissanga, he came across insurgents. The goods weren’t burnt, the truck wasn’t burnt, but they took his money. They charged him 100,000 meticais for the truck with the goods and 50,000 meticais for the tractor ,” lamented Mamudo Irache, speaking to Lusa.
He explained that the terrorists intercepted the businessman on Friday morning (February, 16) and forced him to pay a total of 150 thousand meticais [around €2,180] to continue his journey.
Mamudo Irache warned that the return of these attacks, which have been going on since 2017 but had a lull in the last few months of 2023, could contribute to a setback in the recovery process of Cabo Delgado’s economy.
“It’s a big loss. Imagine a businessman who first suffered from Cyclone Kenneth, then came to suffer from the attacks in the same district, and today he is trying to recover so that he can help his community, and individuals appear to take away what the businessman has achieved in resuming his activities,” he lamented.
After being left behind by the insurgents, the businessman who was the victim of this attack ended up seeking refuge in the neighbouring district of Ibo, in fear of further attacks, said Mamudo Irache.
“With these movements [by the insurgents], the businessman, to save his life, to save the lives of his workers, will choose to leave. And if he leaves, the district is gone. And that is something we we wouldn’t want to happen. That’s why we made a great effort to resume our activities,” he concluded.
In recent weeks, there have been reports of attacks by insurgent groups in various villages and on the roads of Cabo Delgado, including approaches to vehicles, kidnapping of drivers and demands for money from the population to drive on some roads.
On Wednesday, the extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Macomia, Cabo Delgado, which killed at least 20 people. It was one of the most violent attacks in several months.
Through propaganda channels, the terrorist group documented the attack on a position of the Mozambican armed forces, carrying weapons, and also claimed another attack in Chiúre.
However, the district administrator of Macomia, Tomás Badae, confirmed on Monday that insurgent groups operating in Cabo Delgado attacked a position of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) in the district.
The attack took place between Friday night and dawn last Saturday, between 23:00 and 03:00 (21:00 and 01:00 in Lisbon), at the Mucojo administrative post, 45 kilometres from the district headquarters of Macomia: “They did take the position and assaulted it, but we don’t have any more information on whether they are still there or have already left.”
On Tuesday, the attack, also now claimed by ISIS, was confirmed in the Chiúre district, with the destruction of several infrastructures and churches.
The attack began at around 5 p.m. (3 p.m. Lisbon time) on Monday and lasted until almost midnight.
The target was the headquarters of the Mazeze administrative post in the Chiúre district, where the rebels set fire to the hospital, the administrative post office and the residence of the head of the administrative post, said the Chiúre district administrator.
“The infrastructure is basically destroyed,” said Oliveira Amimo, adding that the rebels destroyed the chapel belonging to the Catholic Church.
Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks claimed by IS for six years, which led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects.
Os terroristas mandaram parar ontem à noite na Aldeia de Mussomero, um camião que levava mercadoria para Quissanga e um tractor do governo. Para poderem passar, foram exigidos 150mil meticais que foram pagos e deixados passar. pic.twitter.com/HGCh7jelXT
— Wilker Dias🇲🇿 (@wilkerDias13) February 16, 2024
Cagembe já foi base dos terroristas e tudo indica que já reactivaram. Aliás, Mussomero é passagem do mar para interior e vice-versa. Tem uma zona, perto de Mussomero onde fazem acampamento a espera de maré e pode constituir um corredor logístico geograficamente vantajoso. pic.twitter.com/N5dz0DrrHW
— Wilker Dias🇲🇿 (@wilkerDias13) February 16, 2024
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