Mozambican army unable to quell the insurgency – experts

The bloodbath seen in a reign of terror unleashed this week in northern Mozambique’s gas- and mineral-rich Cabo Delgado province, where more than 50 civilians were reportedly gruesomely beheaded by Islamic State-linked militants, is set to be intensified in the coming weeks, with a weak Mozambican army unable to quell the insurgency, according to experts.

Amid unconfirmed reports claiming that South African and United Kingdom forces were involved in the retraining of Mozambican soldiers – hit by low morale – department of defence spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini was yesterday not available for comment, with department of international relations and cooperation’s Lunga Ngqengelele describing the crisis as “a security issue being dealt with by defence and state security”.

The militants turned a football pitch in a village into an “execution ground”, where they decapitated and chopped up bodies of villagers, according to the Mozambican state media. The gruesome killings are the latest in a series of attacks carried out in Cabo Delgado in the past three years.

Institute for Security Studies analyst Willem Els and counterterrorism expert Jasmine Opperman, who is an analyst at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, predicted that the militants – buoyed by the latest insurgency successes – would intensify attacks in northern Mozambique in the coming weeks.

“What we see in Mozambique is a renewed drive by the militants,” said Els. “They have been rejuvenated by a weak response from the government of Mozambique, following initial attacks, when they briefly occupied the strategic port town of Mocimboa da Praia and the strategic harbour in March – to seize another important town, Quissanga, two days later.”

The experts said the continued insurgency would have an impact on the Mozambican economy. Said Els: “All this is threatening the potential gas output that would be seen in two to three years – also undermining international donor confidence into the gas explorations, with several international companies putting their investments on hold, some withdrawing.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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