29 Christians killed in Mozambique since September: report

The militant group affiliated with the Islamic State has killed at least 29 Christians and displaced hundreds of residents in northern Mozambique over the past two months, according to a report by an inter-sectarian aid agency.

in a Report At least 21 Christians were killed by Islamic extremists last month in the conflict-ridden northern province of Cabo Delgado, Pennsylvania-based Barnabas Aid said in a statement Wednesday.

According to Barnabas Aid, the Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama terrorist group, known locally as Al-Shabaab (not the Somali-based group of the same name), announced the killing of 20 Christians in the coastal province between October 2 and the killing of several others. Hundreds of people were displaced. . 3 and 20.

October 26, another person was killed Militants set fire to a church and house in the Chiure district.

September, Barnabas Aid released another report In September, militants from the same terror group killed at least eight Christians and set fire to two churches and 120 homes in Cabo Delgado and the neighboring province of Nampula. Six of the eight were killed in three attacks in Nampula province in three days.

ISIS released four statements, three of which referred to the killing of a “Christian” in Nangard, Macomia and Nampula.

“The fourth claim was made after the September 8 attack in Naheco (Nampula). The claim refers to the destruction of 120 houses and the killing of 4 ‘Christians’,” tweet Jasmine Opperman, weekly and monthly insights and forecasts on extremism and political violence in Southern Africa.

Violence perpetrated by Islamic extremist groups in northern Mozambique has killed thousands and displaced nearly a million since the insurgency began in 2017. During that time, militants attacked several villages and took control of a region rich in natural gas, rubies, graphite, gold and other natural resources.

The Ansar al-Sunna group reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS as early as April 2018.

“People have witnessed the killing, beheading and rape of their loved ones and the burning of their homes and other infrastructure,” UN spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh Tell Reporter in October.

“Men and boys are also being forcibly joined into armed groups. Livelihoods are lost, education is stagnant, and access to necessities such as food and health care is hindered. Many are traumatized again after being forced to move multiple times to save on their lives. ”

local resources Tell According to VOA, terrorists entered the village of Murrameia in the Namuno district on the afternoon of October 29 and set fire to a school and religious buildings. In addition, the extremists captured and beheaded the village chief and his wife. A third died from gunshot wounds.

In Muslim parts of the Christian-majority country, Islamic extremists kidnap women and use them as sex slaves and force boys to become child soldiers, Washington Post report last month.

“In 2017, jihadist insurgents started in Cabo Delgado province and they won over some locals because they returned government resources to villagers and didn’t kill anyone,” said International, a U.S.-based persecution watchdog group Christian Concern report“However, this didn’t last long as ISIS started setting fire to Christian villages and killing those who lived there.”

At least 24 countries have sent troops to support Mozambique’s fight against insurgents. The Mozambican military is accused of having 7,000 “ghost soldiers”, some of whom are paid to defence officials, according to the Mozambican army. BBC.

Mozambique’s natural gas reserves are highly lucrative, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to affect gas prices and raise security concerns across the continent.

In February, the U.S. government approved nearly $6 billion in loans and risk insurance to help Mozambique’s gas industry, The Washington Post reported.

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