Rebel movement in Cabo Delgado ‘unnerves’ population

The rebel movement in recent days in the town of Natuko, in the district of Mecufi, province of Cabo Delgado, is causing unrest and fear among the population, a local leader told Lusa this Monday.

“The situation is not normal, our population is very worried,” said Ali Anli, head of the town of Natuko, located more than 100 kilometers from the provincial capital Cabo Delgado (Pemba).

Although initial movements in the Mekufi region were recorded without attacks on civilians, some residents of the interior decided to leave the region for the district headquarters or the provincial capital, the source said.

“There are reports that they usually capture people, forcing them to point the way to the destination they are trying to reach. Then they send them back to their homes (…) They head to the Lurio River, on the border between the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula,” said Ali Anli.

Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency for six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, leading to a military response from July 2021 backed by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). liberation of areas near gas projects.

After a period of relative stability, new attacks and movements have been recorded in Cabo Delgado in recent weeks, although local authorities suspect the movement is linked to a crackdown carried out by defense and security forces in the districts of Macomia, Quisanga and Muidumbe among the hardest hit.

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.