The Mozambican army confronted jihadists on May 10 who attacked the town of Macomia, announced President Filipe Nyusi, referring to an escalation of the conflict in this area of the country. This attack appears to be the largest since the start of the year in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado region. “ With troops gradually leaving the field, Islamic State fighters in Mozambique are taking advantage of this opportunity to restart their activities a little », Underlines Meron Elias, East and Southern Africa analyst for International Crisis Group.
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Clashes took place in the north of Mozambique, at the end of last week, between the army and jihadists. President Filipe Nyusi spoke on television to discuss this major jihadist offensive against Macomia, a town located in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado region, which has for several years been the scene of an insurgency linked to the Islamic State group. .
In July 2021, forces from Rwanda and SADC (Southern African Development Community) countries were deployed there to support the Mozambican army.
“ Since the intervention of Rwanda and the SADC, there has been a real reduction in violence in the province. »
Meron Elias, East and Southern Africa analyst for International Crisis Group, underlines, at the microphone of Magali Lagrange : “ The attack is part of a surge in violence in the north since late last year. This is not particularly new, there have already been attacks nearby. What makes the difference now is the scale of the attack. »
He pursues : ” To place these attacks in the context of what is happening in northern Mozambique, we must say that, since the intervention of Rwanda and the SADC forces, there has been a real reduction in violence in the province. However, in recent months, this has changed as the SADC prepares its final departure from Mozambique for July. »
He concludes : ” So we think that with the troops gradually leaving the field, the Islamic State fighters in Mozambique are taking advantage of this opportunity to restart their activities a little. And precisely, in Macomia, the SADC forces had left just a few days before the attack. »
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Mozambique has high hopes for vast gas deposits – the largest discovered south of the Sahara – which were found in Cabo Delgado in 2010. If all are exploited, Mozambique could become a top 10 gas exporter. But an insurgency linked to the Islamic State jihadist group has prevented any progress since 2017. More than 5,000 people have been killed and thousands more driven from their homes. Forces from Rwanda as well as SADC countries were deployed to Mozambique in July 2021 after an attack on the town of Palma. They allowed the Mozambican government to regain control of most of the region.