Deadly battles in the north

The Mozambican Armed Forces announced on Wednesday that 156 militants had been killed in fighting with “terrorists” in the northern province of Campos Delgado, near the city of Palma.

Dozens of other extremists were captured, according to the same source.

Last week, the Southern African Development Community (KAMA) decided to deploy a military mission to the country to help fight jihadist organizations that have spread terror in the north for more than three years.

At least 50,000 people were forced to flee their homes when a surprise attack took place in the coastal city of Palma on March 24. The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group later claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed dozens of people.

The French energy giant Total has undertaken a liquefied natural gas project worth around 17 billion euros in the region.

Jihadists have been carrying out attacks and atrocities in northern Mozambique almost daily since 2017. According to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), between 530,000 and 800,000 people have been displaced since.

The impoverished area, neglected by the Mozambican authorities for years, where some experts observe that local complaints favor Islamist action, has become a hotbed of crisis with at least 2,800 dead. It is also facing a humanitarian crisis, as one million people are now at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).