While jihadists prevent Total gas production in Cabo De...
Daily MaverickAug 28, 2022
Mozambican Pres. Filipe Nyusi said on Wed. that at least six people were beheaded and another three were kidnapped by Islamist militants in Mozambique's Nampula province the previous day.
Local authorities also confirmed that an Italian nun, who lived in the city of Nacala, was shot dead during the attacks, while other missionaries managed to escape. On Wed., the Islamic State (IS) reportedly claimed responsibility for the death of four Christians and a nun.
In one of the world's poorest countries, some of Africa's largest gas reserves have been discovered, and energy giants are receiving privileged treatment at the expense of people's livelihoods. Mozambique, along with SADC and Rwanda, have been quick to declare successes in expelling insurgents in Cabo Delgado - which is the oil hothouse of Mozambique - but, in reality, they've only succeeded in pushing them southwards and westwards, where they have continued their terrorist attacks.
The government is doing all it can. With the military help of SADC and Rwanda, Mozambique has made progress in the fight against the Islamist insurgency. Still, the challenge of jihadist terror must be addressed holistically, as recognized by the government, which has pivoted towards a new strategy that takes into account socioeconomic inequalities, as well as political and economic exclusion, in the country's north.