Mozambique: Niassa National Reserve reopens to tourists

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Mozambique: Niassa National Reserve reopens to tourists

10:31 CAT | 20 Apr 2022

File photo: Lusa

The Niassa National Reserve, in northern Mozambique, will again open its gates to receive tourists, after having closed following armed attacks between December and January, said a source from the government of Niassa province on Tuesday.

Faruk da Costa, head of Culture and Tourism in Niassa province, told public broadcaster Radio Moçambique that the reserve was safe again, thanks to the action of the defence and security forces (FDS) against armed groups that attacked Mecula district, where the largest part of the reserve is located.

Costa noted that the reopening of the reserve for tourists will generate revenue and create job opportunities for the communities living around it.

The Niassa special reserve is the largest protected area in Mozambique, with 42,400 square kilometres, covering areas of the province that gives it its name and Cabo Delgado province.

Between late 2021 and early 2022, Mecula was the scene of attacks by armed groups that the Mozambican government assumes fled from neighbouring Cabo Delgado province, where Mozambican and international forces have put the insurgents under pressure.

The attacks forced 3,700 residents to flee, but action by government forces and the armed groups’ difficulties in adapting to the terrain in Niassa province have helped restore calm in recent months.

Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas but has been terrorised since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

There are 784,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and around 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Source: Lusa