Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s defence minister said in Maputo on Monday that the security situation in the Niassa Special Reserve (REN) in the north “is stable” after attacks by armed men that killed at least two people.
“It is stable, operators are returning to their activities, and we remain alert to ensure any movement that could affect the situation in Niassa is promptly addressed,” the minister said when journalists asked him about the situation in the REN, on the sidelines of a seminar on 50 years of the Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique.
Chume highlighted the government’s efforts to ensure security and normal operations in the reserve after attacks in April and May by groups of alleged terrorists, who have been operating since 2017 in the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado. Initial reports indicated that at least two people had died and two were missing, including forest rangers, but Islamic State later claimed responsibility for three deaths in the attack in that province through its propaganda channels.
At the end of May, the Mozambican authorities said there were “clear indications” that the armed groups that carried out the attacks in the Niassa Special Reserve had fled, while acknowledging that a “demanding environment” remained in that province.
“We continue to operate in a demanding environment, and we see clear indications that the insurgents are moving out of the reserve. This scenario brings a sign of hope and opens space for us to think about the future of the area after this period of tension,” said the director-general of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Pejul Calenga.
The ANAC official reported that, during the attacks, deaths occurred “both on the side of the enforcement agency and the Defence and Security Forces,” with the figures still to be confirmed.
Regarding the situation in Cabo Delgado province, the defence minister told journalists that recent reports recorded new attacks, and security forces have since restored security.
‘Those who have been following the situation in Cabo Delgado in recent times have seen a security improvement, not only thanks to the strength of the Mozambican Armed and Defence Forces (…) Overall, the situation remains stable, and we are taking the need to improve security very seriously,’ said the defence minister, highlighting the role of local forces in combating the alleged rebels.
“The Local Force continues to operate (…) and a few days ago it made contact with the enemy and achieved good results, which means that the Local Force continues to play a key role in supporting the Defence and Security Forces,” added Cristóvão Chume.
Armed men invaded the Mariri hunting camp in Niassa, an area covering eight districts and also including the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado, in the afternoon of 29 April, according to local reports. This was the second case of alleged terrorist movements in the REN, with the first recorded on 24 April, but the authorities reported new incursions in May.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has since acknowledged that the armed forces fought the alleged terrorists who operated in that reserve, and they subsequently left the region.
Islamic extremist groups killed at least 349 people in that province in 2024 alone, an increase of 36% over the previous year, according to data that the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies recently released. The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies is an academic institution of the US Department of Defence that analyses conflicts in Africa.
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