Africa-Press – Mozambique. The permanent secretary of Mocímboa da Praia, a district affected by armed violence in northern Mozambique, said that displaced people returning home need water so that they do not risk perilous journeys.
“Those people need water,” said João Saraiva, quoted by Mozambican television station Televisão de Moçambique.
He said people had to travel long distances to find water, despite the danger of insurgency in that region, even more so in a district that was considered by the military forces as that was the base of the groups that have been carrying out armed attacks in Cabo Delgado since 2017.
Of the 171,000 inhabitants, about 2,000 people have returned to Mocímboa da Praia after fleeing en masse in recent years due to attacks by armed groups.
Saraiva is also appealing for donations of agricultural products, such as seeds, so that the population can resume farming.
He explained that some contacts had been made, but the aid was insufficient.
“We received part of the material from Caritas [Mozambique], but any donation now will help a lot,” he said.
Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas but has been terrorised since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The conflict has claimed more than 3,100 lives, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.
Since July 2021, an offensive by government troops with Rwandan support later joined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) allowed several areas to be retaken, but the conflict spread in November to neighbouring Niassa province.
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