Africa-Press – Mozambique. The group of Islamist terrorists which invaded the Kambako hunting area, in the Niassa Special Reserve, on the border between the northern Mozambican provinces of Niassa and Cabo Delgado, beheaded two people, burnt down a luxury camp and looted foodstuffs.
The attack, according to Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Moçambique”, which took place on 19 April, was carried out by a group of 40 terrorists. The two people murdered were workers of the camp, who were shot and beheaded.
“After capturing four workers, the insurgents demanded a ransom of three million meticais for the release of their victims, but this was rejected due to global rules against financing terrorism. After the rejection, the terrorists set fire to the main camp”, says the paper.
In a statement, Kambako Safaris, the company responsible for the management of the hunting ground, the attack – in which the terrorists also seized vehicles, destroyed an aircraft and stole weapons and uniforms from a unit of the Mozambican riot police (UIR) – has had a serious impact on the community, since the company employs 120 local residents every year.
“Kambako Safaris’ main camp, along the Lugenda River, was attacked by opportunistic bandits. What wasn’t stolen – including fuel, food stores, protective clothing and vehicles – was deliberately destroyed in a fire that razed the entire camp to the ground”, reads the note.
The document also says that the terrorists destroyed foodstuffs which had been supplied as part of the preparations for the upcoming hunting season.
“The site was recently stocked with food and drink, as well as protective clothing, boots, hats, beds and uniforms for the workers. All the fuel tanks were full of diesel, including for aircraft, and the company had just received essential equipment for its operations, including vehicles, wheels and spare parts for lorries and tractors, solar and inverter systems, radios and water pipes”, said Jumbo Moore, a founding partner of Kambako Safaris, cited in the document.
“The bandits must have seen our lorries passing through several villages over several days and devised a plan to obtain these valuable goods”, he added.
The Niassa Special Reserve contains six hunting blocks managed by private companies. Kambako is one of the largest hunting operators in Mozambique. There are fears in the industry that this incursion will eventually lead to the cancellation of game tourists’ bookings not only for the hunting blocks in Niassa, but also for other hunting areas in Mozambique, which would be a disaster for the businesses and for their employees.
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