Mozambique: Rebels kill three, kidnap minors in Nangade district, Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique: Rebels kill three, kidnap minors in Nangade district, Cabo Delgado

1:09 CAT | 10 Feb 2022

Image: Google Maps

A group of armed insurgents on Wednesday killed three people and kidnapped at least two minors in a village in Nangade district, in Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, a local resident told Lusa on Thursday.

This is the second such attack reported in the district in less than a week.

“Things are bad here: the terrorists killed three people in Namwembe, one of them a member of the local force,” said the resident, referring to one of the groups of ex-servicemen and volunteers in the province who have taken up arms to fight the insurgents. He added that the local force member was shot dead as he tried to save two underage girls who were being snatched by the attackers.

“He was killed when he was trying to shoot to prevent the kidnapping,” the source said.

As in previous attacks, the group of rebels looted food before fleeing.

Nangade district lies between Palma and Mocímboa da Praia, on the east – the scene of the main clashes in recent months – and Mueda, on the west, which has served as a refuge for thousands of displaced people.

As the government offensive progresses that is backed by forces from Rwanda and Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, rebels are thought to be fleeing to neighbouring districts and provinces, leading to occasional attacks on villages.

The province of Cabo Delgado is rich in natural gas but has been plagued since 2017 by armed rebels, with responsibility for some attacks claimed by the local affiliate of the extremist group Islamic State.

The conflict has seen more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 859,000 people displaced, according to Mozambican authorities.

Source: Lusa