Mozambique: Terrorists attack Macomia village – AIM report

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Mozambique: Terrorists attack Macomia village – AIM report

7:24 CAT | 01 Dec 2021

FILE PHOTO - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: VOA]

A group of armed and hooded men on Monday killed two people and burnt down several houses in the village of Chitoio, in Macomia district in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, according to local residents cited by the Portuguese news agency, Lusa.

A source in the local security force said it is believed the attackers are part of the terrorist group, sometimes called “Al-Shabaab”, which has been active in Cabo Delgado since October 2017.

“We were preparing for a traditional ceremony, which involves taking children into the bush, when we heard shots, and suddenly hooded men arrived and encircled the village. They began to fire and killed two people”, said this source.

After the attack, in which two children are said to have disappeared, many of the villagers fled and hid in the bush.

This was a setback for the attempts to bring life in Chitoio back to normal. “It’s really sad, because many people were coming back”, said one resident. “But after this attack, they’ve abandoned the village again”.

The local militia have tried to protect people and property but complain of lack of reinforcements. “We can’t do anything because there are lots of them and they’re well equipped”, said Lusa’s source. “We’ve informed our chiefs in Macomia town, but they haven’t replied”.

Meanwhile the administrator of Mecula district in the neighbouring province of Niassa, Antonio Paulo, has promised to restore order to Naulala, a village near the border with Cabo Delgado that came under terrorist attack last week.

According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, on Sunday Paulo met in the district capital with families who had fled from Naulala, and told them that the defence and security forces are working to provide safe conditions for them to return.

He asked the local residents to step up their vigilance and identify any outsiders. The displaced families are currently sleeping in a classroom in a Mecula school. The government has promised to provide them with food.

Source: AIM