Mozambique: Parliament considers recruitment of children by terrorists a “barbaric act”

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Mozambique: Parliament considers recruitment of children by terrorists a “barbaric act”

12:20 CAT | 22 Oct 2025

Photo: Domingo

The president of the Mozambican parliament, Margarida Talapa, today described as “barbaric” the recruitment of children into the terrorist ranks plaguing Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country.

“We reiterate our firm condemnation of these barbaric acts, including the recruitment of children for terrorist actions, which constitutes a serious violation of human rights,” said the president of the Assembly of the Republic, addressing the opening of the second ordinary session of this legislature this Wednesday morning in Maputo.

Margarida Talapa emphasised that terrorism continues to “cast a shadow” over the future of Mozambique, and is now also beginning to affect Nampula province, which borders Cabo Delgado. She remarked that these regions still suffer from the “presence of the enemies of the country’s development”.

“The bravery of our Defence and Security Forces, supported by the Local Force and our Rwandan and Tanzanian brothers, is commendable and must be accompanied by strengthened active vigilance by the communities,” she said, adding that “parliament is and will always be on the side of defending national sovereignty, peace and stability”.

In the same statements, the president of the Mozambican parliament described the ongoing political dialogue, with consultations progressing nationally, as reflecting a new “maturity”, and a “spirit of reconciliation and inclusion”.

“The Assembly of the Republic is following the first steps of this process and we are confident that the results will be promising for a more democratic Mozambique, for the formulation of public policies that are fairer, more equitable and aligned with the aspirations of our people,” Speaker Talapa said, calling for mass participation.

“We invite all of society to take part in this dialogue, a privileged space where we can all contribute to the nation we want to be a cradle of stability and a developed land, where peace and reconciliation abound,” she added.

The Mozambican parliament today begins the second ordinary session of this legislature, with the first annual report from the head of state, Daniel Chapo, and the proposal of the Economic and Social Plan and State Budget (PESOE) 2026 on the agenda.

Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique and rich in gas, has been the target of extremists for eight years, with the first attack recorded on 5 October 2017, in the district of Mocímboa da Praia.

Almost 93,000 people have fled Cabo Delgado and Nampula since the end of September due to the resurgence of attacks in northern Mozambique, doubling the number of displaced people in a few days, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, on 6 October described the attacks in Cabo Delgado as “barbaric” and against “human dignity.”

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) has recorded 6,257 deaths in the eight years of attacks in Cabo Delgado, warning of ongoing instability.

Source: Lusa