Local population sources report that incidents of raids on agricultural fields have been occurring in Montepuez since Saturday. The acts of vandalism affected cassava, corn, and bean crops in at least three farms, located in a production area approximately five kilometers from the community, along the R398 road.
A source based in Montepuez and speaking with Lusa informed that individuals continue to circulate in the Nacololo area, and on Saturday, some farmers noticed that their belongings had been stolen from the farms.
The reports indicate that the presence of these alleged rebels in the region has generated a climate of apprehension among residents, who express fear of returning to their cultivated fields. Another source reinforced that, although there were no registered victims, the movement of the alleged insurgents is causing insecurity in local communities, as people fear going to the farms due to the risk of possible attacks.
In a broader context, security incidents in northern Mozambique, mainly related to insurgent attacks in Cabo Delgado, increased in June, totaling 73 cases, with 10 deaths and 72 kidnappings, according to a UN report released at the end of July.
Cabo Delgado province, rich in natural gas, is the scene of an armed insurgency that began in 2017. A more recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) pointed to the growth of incidents in June, surpassing the 71 recorded in May, in northern Mozambique. This report emphasized 'violence against civilians' as the predominant type of incident, affecting especially the districts with the greatest needs, which compromises civilian protection, restricts humanitarian access, and causes population displacement.
According to the OCHA document, 44 occurrences (59%) involved violence, resulting in 10 civilian deaths and the kidnapping of 72 people, supposedly for forced recruitment, forced labor, or ransom. OCHA also detailed that these incidents included 'attacks on villages, looting of civilian and humanitarian goods, destruction of civilian property, threats, and extortion.'
Additionally, previous data provided by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded 2,408 violent events since the beginning of the insurgency, of which 2,224 involved elements linked to the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM), culminating in over 6,600 deaths.
