Africa-Press – Mozambique. The governor of Cabo Delgado province, Valige Tauabo, said this Friday that those responsible for attacks in the region should use the ongoing inclusive national dialogue in the country as an opportunity to express their grievances.
“With the Inclusive National Dialogue, the terrorists have one more opportunity to come and tell us where the problem lies. If there are those who feel hurt by something, this is the moment for that dialogue. If they are Mozambicans, bring this matter to the table so that it can be understood and so that we are all united,” Valige Tauabo said at a public meeting held in Quelimane village, Mocímboa da Praia district.
The Inclusive National Dialogue results from an agreement with Mozambican political parties, providing for reforms and pacification of the country after the post-electoral contestation and violence.
In his speech, Governor Tauabo expressed solidarity with residents who have been the target of incursions by alleged terrorists in recent days.
“Now we have the opportunity, with this Inclusive National Dialogue, to bring them here to see where the problem lies. If there are those who feel they are hurt by something, then it’s time for this national dialogue, where all Mozambicans, if they are Mozambicans, can bring these issues to the table to be understood and find a way for us all to be united, to all talk about Mozambique in development, and to all feel like Mozambicans. And if they are foreigners, then we will discover that the situation happening in our country, and here in our province in particular, is not with Mozambicans, but with foreigners. So then the treatment will also be different, but always inviting them to come to the table to listen so that we can stop putting our people through suffering,” Governor Tauabo said, cited by ‘O País’.
In addition to the killings and the destruction of public and private property, the governor of Cabo Delgado expressed concern about the armed group for allegedly forcing people to follow Islam.
“We have our constitution, and everyone who has their own different religion belongs in this country. Each person practises their religion freely, and there has never been a problem. This is not something new – it has been this way since independence, and we have never had problems. Each religion has its own way of inviting believers or followers, and that has never been an issue, but today, when another way is brought in, it brings us instability,” the governor noted, cited by ‘O País’.
Almost 40,000 people have fled from six districts of Cabo Delgado, and also from the neighbouring province of Nampula, as a result of the intensification of attacks in northern Mozambique, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the latest field report from that United Nations agency, consulted this Friday by Lusa, between 22 September and 6 October, the escalation of attacks and the insecurity caused by armed groups led to “new displacements” totalling 39,643 people, equivalent to 12,335 families, mainly in the districts of Balama, Mocímboa da Praia, Montepuez, and Chiúre, in Cabo Delgado, but also in Memba, Nampula province.
According to the latest field report from that United Nations agency, consulted this Friday by Lusa, between 22 September and 6 October, the escalation of attacks and the insecurity caused by armed groups led to “new displacements” totalling 39,643 people, equivalent to 12,335 families, mainly in the districts of Balama, Mocímboa da Praia, Montepuez, and Chiúre, in Cabo Delgado, but also in Memba, Nampula province.
During this period, the IOM recorded a total of 26,405 displaced people from Mocímboa da Praia due to the “insecurity” in the neighbourhoods of 30 de Junho and Filipe Nyusi, on the outskirts of the district headquarters town, scenes of at least two attacks by insurgent groups, with several fatalities, during the month of September.
In the district of Chiúre – which had already recorded around 57,000 displaced people at the end of July due to several attacks by armed groups – there are a further 1,164 displaced people in recent days who fled from Mazeze and Murocue. On a smaller scale, the IOM recorded 144 displaced people from Nangade district, 121 from Macomia and 66 from Muidumbe.
In addition to these districts of Cabo Delgado, the IOM report states that the “recent attacks” in Memba, Nampula, near the neighbouring province, “also forced 2,178 individuals to flee from the villages of Chipene and Necoro”, in this case to the district of Erati.
At least 45 houses in two villages of Nampula were burned on 1 October by alleged terrorist groups who had come from Cabo Delgado, according to the Government.
Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, rich in gas, has been targeted by terrorist attacks for eight years, with the first attack recorded on 5 October 2017, in the Mocímboa da Praia district.
The President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, this month described the terrorist attacks in the north of the country as “barbaric acts”, and against “human dignity”.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) counts 6,257 deaths over eight years of terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado, warning of current instability and the resurgence of violence.
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