AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE – Violence and attacks continue in Cabo Delgado province: Bishop of Quelimane calls for prayer

Quelimane – The Islamist insurgency continues in Cabo Delgado province. Recent attacks in districts such as Nangade, Mocímboa da Praia, and in the southern areas have targeted civilians, soldiers, missionaries, and miners, causing deaths, burning homes, and displacing hundreds of people. A raid in Namacuili caused at least four dead, while armed groups are attacking the districts of Ancuabe and Macomia. “The situation seems out of control,” Bishop Osório Citora Afonso, IMC, of the Diocese of Quelimane, told Fides. “The attacks continue, always in the same areas, and the population is terrified. Women, in particular, are experiencing very difficult situations. Beyond what is reported in the news, the destruction continues; there are many victims and Christians who have been killed. I invite everyone to pray for us,” concluded the Consolata missionary, who is also the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira.

In total, more than one million people have been displaced by the conflict. Clashes with Mozambican and Rwandan forces continue, with reports of soldiers killed and insurgent incursions. Furthermore, humanitarian access remains difficult. Rwanda’s National Institute for Disaster Management has warned that humanitarian aid in the northern province of Cabo Delgado is under pressure due to a combination of terrorist attacks, floods, and flooding, which are affecting the same communities. In a statement released by local authorities, INGD delegate in Cabo Delgado, Marques Naba, noted that the humanitarian response must adapt to “a complex and simultaneous scenario.” Naba stated that 4,570 homes have been affected during the current rainy season, of which 1,316 have been destroyed. On a positive note, more than 600,000 people who had been previously displaced by the conflict in Cabo Delgado have returned to their places of origin. The government and regional forces are actively involved, but the situation is generating an increasingly serious humanitarian crisis.

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