A September 25 attack on an armed group base in northeastern Mozambique has killed 19 of its members, including a local jihadist leader, the Southern African Development Community (KAMA) said on Saturday.
The “sheikh” Rajab Awadi Danzile, the elected Dr. Djile, who was in charge of the base, was “killed along with 18 other terrorists” in the attack in the Nangante area of the Cambodian province of Delgado, according to a statement issued by the KAMA military mission in Mozambique.
The countries of southern Africa formed the SANIM military mission in August to help Mozambique deal with jihadists looting Campus Delgadu and regain control of the provincial capital.
Dr. Djile was the leader of the jihadists “in the Nangante region, where he played a decisive role in the recruitment and ideological catechism of members,” according to KAMA.
He maintained a shop where he sold herbs in the village of Litingia, where he came from, about fifteen kilometers from the base.
There he had “persuaded ordinary citizens to rise up against the Mozambican government.”
He was also “involved in orchestrating the first attack in Mosiboa da Praia” in October 2017, “following terrorist attacks on villages”, as well as “kidnapping women and children”, KAMA added.
Rwanda was the first African country to send 1,000 troops in July to support the Mozambican army in the fight against jihadist groups, followed shortly afterwards by several other KAMA member states. Nearly 1,500 South African troops have also been deployed.
Jihadist groups have been spreading terror since late 2017 in the region, which borders Tanzania with a poor, predominantly Muslim population, where one of the largest liquefied natural gas projects in Africa is expected to proceed.
