Authorities are asking police to prevent people from fleeing Mocimboa da Praia in Mozambique.

The police of the Republic of Mozambique this Sunday appealed to members of the corporation to avoid actions that force the population to flee the village of Mocimboa da Praia, the district headquarters, where rebels killed 12 people in September.

“We need to be prepared so that there are no surprises in the city of Mocimboa da Praia. Any shot can lead to the flight of the population,” said the General Commander of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), Bernardino Rafael. I’m talking to corporate agents in a village located in the province of Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country.

Rafael asked the police to guarantee adequate conditions so that the population of the city of Mocimboa da Praia can participate in the local elections on the 11th, which will be held throughout the country.

Twelve people were killed by rebels in the Mocimboa da Praia region, in an act that Mozambican Defense Minister Cristovan Chume considered “terrorist revenge” for the deaths in battle of several rebel leaders operating in the region.

The main town of Mocimboa da Praia served as rebel headquarters for just over a year until it was re-established in August 2021 in a joint effort by Mozambican and Rwandan government forces.

On October 5, 2017, the area became the first site of attack by armed groups carrying out raids in Cabo Delgado.

The province has faced an armed insurgency for six years, with the extremist group Daesh claiming responsibility for some attacks.

This insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating areas near gas projects.

The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and nearly 4,000 people have died, according to the ACLED Conflict Recording Project.