Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Sees Renewed Violence as International Troops Withdraw

In Summary

• Tomas Langa and Alfane Silva recount their terrifying experiences during the latest insurgent attack in Macomia, Cabo Delgado.
• Fighters linked to the Islamic State group targeted government buildings, looted shops, and raided a medical facility.
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission plans to withdraw its forces by July 15, raising concerns of instability.
• Rwanda will send an additional 2,000 troops to support Mozambique, while South Africa will maintain its forces until the end of 2024.
• SADC faces financial constraints and has shifted focus to stabilizing the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DETAILS

“If [the jihadists] knew I was a government official, they would have beheaded me,” Tomas Langa, a civil servant in northern Mozambique, told the BBC. He feels he had a lucky escape. For his safety, we have changed his name. Woken in the early hours of May 10 by heavy gunfire, Langa looked out of his window to see four armed men standing outside his house in Macomia town in the insurgency-hit Cabo Delgado province. Terrified, he ran into the countryside, where he hid for three days, living on cassava plants. “I was lucky they only insulted me as I ran,” he said.

Fighters linked to the Islamic State (IS) group targeted government buildings and positions in the town before looting shops and warehouses. The gunmen kept the area under siege for two days, creating an atmosphere of fear and chaos. The jihadists raided a medical facility run by aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), seizing vehicles and medical supplies. MSF said it has had no choice but to relocate staff and suspend its operations in Macomia.

Alfane Silva, a father of five, told the BBC he was detained and interrogated by eight gunmen. Again, this is not his real name. "They were wearing military gear and carried heavy weapons," he said. "They told me to run to the bush or they would kill me if I stayed in town." Silva said it took two days for government reinforcements to arrive, but by then the militants had already left.

More than 700 people fled this latest round of fighting in Macomia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Those who stayed behind, like Silva and Langa, have been left with no medical facilities, no electricity, and live in constant fear of another attack.

It was the latest resurgence of the violence that had declined as security forces, backed by troops from neighboring states, seemed to be getting the situation under control. But now, many of those troops are being withdrawn.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, made up of about 2,000 soldiers from eight countries, has said it will withdraw its forces from Mozambique by July 15 and not extend its three-year mandate. Regional security experts have warned that this may be too early, as the area remains unstable. Botswana and Lesotho have already pulled their soldiers out, while Angola and Namibia are in the process of leaving. However, Tanzania, which borders the country to the north, will maintain 300 troops, reports the privately owned Zambeze newspaper, based in the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

Dastan Kweka, a governance specialist in Tanzania, told the BBC that the authorities expect security in the region to deteriorate further. South Africa, which currently contributes more than 1,000 soldiers to the peacekeeping efforts, has said it will keep its troops in Mozambique until the end of 2024, but not as part of the SADC mission. On the other hand, Rwanda, which is not part of SADC but has supported Mozambique, announced it will send an additional 2,000 troops to the country. Rwanda army spokesperson Brig-Gen Ronald Rwivanga told the BBC that they were "simply bolstering" their strength. The decision had nothing to do with the SADC withdrawal or recent attacks, he said.

When Rwanda sent its first 1,000 troops in 2021, it said it was supporting efforts to restore the Mozambican government's authority in Cabo Delgado. This followed the signing of several bilateral agreements between the two countries in 2018. Rwanda’s additional troops will help fill the gaps left by SADC forces in northern Mozambique.

Meron Elias, an East and Southern Africa analyst for Crisis Group, said the SADC mission in Mozambique faces financial constraints, relying heavily on member-state contributions to keep it going. She said the regional bloc has instead shifted its focus towards stabilizing the precarious situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In December 2023, SADC sent troops to DR Congo to help the government fight a myriad of rebel groups plaguing the east of the country.