National Electoral Commission guarantees registration in Cabo Delgado

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique this Thursday guaranteed that registration for the October general elections will take place throughout the province of Cabo Delgado, maintaining security measures in the face of new armed attacks.

“The situation in Cabo Delgado is delicate, but this does not mean that the electoral authorities will stop carrying out the census throughout the province, depending on the security conditions there,” CNE spokesman Paulo Quinica said at a press conference. to Maputo.

According to the CNE, people will be registered in the region where they are located after some moved due to a new wave of attacks and displacements that occurred in Cabo Delgado after a period of relative stability.

In recent weeks, attacks by insurgent groups have been reported in several villages and on roads in the province, including attacks on vehicles, kidnapping of drivers and demands for money from the population to travel on some roads.

“We are working with local authorities, defense and security forces so that we can carry out a census throughout the province of Cabo Delgado,” Paulo Quinica said during the process, which will take place from March 15 to April 28 in Mozambique.

General elections, including presidential elections, are scheduled for October 9, in which current head of state and Frelimo leader Filipe Nyusi will no longer be able to participate in the elections, having reached the constitutional limit of two terms.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) a week ago claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Macomia, Cabo Delgado, killing at least 20 people, one of the worst in months.

Cabo Delgado province has been subject to attacks claimed by IS for six years, leading to a military response since July 2021 with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) liberating areas near IS projects.