People isolated by rising river flows in parts of Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique fear more rebel attacks in the face of a new wave of armed violence in recent weeks.
“There is no vehicle traffic because the Messalo River is full. I don’t know if this will be a problem for us because terrorists can take advantage of this to torment us, knowing that help may arrive, but it will take some time. for a long time,” a resident of Miangalewa town in Muidumbe district, one of those most affected by the outbreak of the insurgency in the province in 2017, told Lusa this Friday.
Several villages in Cabo Delgado are largely inaccessible and roads are impassable due to heavy rains and rising river flows in recent weeks, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
According to the provincial delegation of the National Road Administration (ANE) of Mozambique, at least three sections of the road have been affected by the heavy rains being felt in Cabo Delgado, namely the Macomia-Oasse sections of the N380, Meculi. – Mazeze road from the R760 road and Metuge-Mahate-Kissanga from the R762 road.
The situation limits access to villages in the interior of Cabo Delgado, served by some main roads.
“We are in a difficult situation, we cannot pass through Mahate. [em Quissanga] before [ao distrito de] Metuge and vice versa, we only depend on the road that stands out in the village of 19 de Autubro, on the main road, and this scares us because the bandits can use this as an excuse to torment us,” said a resident of the village of Metuge, Kisanginsky district.
In some regions, communities have only one access road, which is restricted for some vehicles due to rain, a situation that worries residents.
“It’s difficult to use only one road. If terrorists close it, what will we do? Insurgents are circulating here,” said another Kisanga resident.
After months of relative return to normalcy in areas affected by armed violence, the province of Cabo Delgado has been recording new movements and attacks by rebel groups for weeks, causing new waves of displacement, especially since Monday, when residents of de Mazese, Cure- Velho, Mahipa, Alaka, Nakoha B and Nakussa fled their villages, traveling more than 20 kilometers along the national road (EN1) until they crossed the Lurio River, the border with Nampula province, seeking refuge in the Erati (Namapa) region.
On Thursday, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi said the new rebel incursions were the result of armed groups trying to recruit new members, given that the province reported a “major terrorist movement” last month.
Mozambican Prime Minister Adriano Maleian also on Thursday acknowledged the need for additional support for Cabo Delgado, given the flight of dozens of people due to new attacks recorded in the province and a situation that creates “food problems.”
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.
The 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 gas projects.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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