Mozambique security: 154 insurgent attacks recorded in five months

Brigadier General Sérgio Estrela, commander of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM MOZ), reported a significant escalation of terrorist violence in northern Mozambique. During a lecture in Maputo, Estrela revealed that 154 attacks occurred over the last five months, averaging approximately 25 attacks per month.

The violence has primarily targeted 15 districts within Cabo Delgado province, though incursions have also been recorded in the Niassa province and toward the south and west of the country. The attacks are geographically dispersed across roughly 120 locations, suggesting that insurgent groups maintain significant mobility and freedom of movement.

EUMAM MOZ noted a shift in insurgent tactics, including the use of dispersed attacks to avoid concentrated military responses and an increase in kidnappings followed by ransom demands. Additionally, non-governmental entities have reported recent instances of extreme violence, including the decapitation of 21 people in the Mueda and Muidumbe districts.