Mozambique is witnessing a fresh wave of violence, with terrorists setting fire to churches and homes and blocking key highways in the volatile Cabo Delgado province.
In attacks carried out on 13 and 14 April, militants burned two churches and 95 houses in the communities of Nkole and Ngura, in Cabo Delgado’s Ancuabe district.
The assailants also stole 15 motorbikes, forcing residents to flee their homes in search of safety.
On 12 and 13 April, the militants blocked National Road Number 14, the crucial route linking Montepuez district to Pemba, Cabo Delgado’s capital.
The attackers set fire to two vehicles and kidnapped the drivers, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Witnesses reported that the attackers demanded money from motorists, disrupting movement.
As the attacks escalate in Cabo Delgado province, speculation is mounting over the possible resurgence of disgruntled former Renamo guerrillas in Sofala, further complicating the country’s security landscape.
There are concerns over security instability in Sofala province, where unidentified assailants ambushed and destroyed seven trucks on 8 April in Maringue district.
Witnesses say the attackers—eight individuals, one armed with an AK-47 rifle – blocked a section of the country’s main north-south highway and carried out the attack with machetes.
Police officials have yet to determine the motives behind the Sofala ambush, but speculation suggests the possibility of disgruntled former Renamo fighters seeking to pressure the government for greater concessions.
“It remains possible that disgruntled former Renamo guerrillas staged the Tuesday ambush in an attempt to extract more benefits from the government,” state-run AIM news agency reported.
Maringue was previously home to a Renamo rebel base during the Mozambican civil war, and concerns persist about lingering hostilities despite a 2019 peace agreement that led to the militia’s disarmament.
Authorities say security operations are being ramped up to track down the perpetrators in both regions.
